Rónan Kelleher will nearly miss the lack of a partizan atmosphere at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre on Sunday.
The Leinster and Ireland hooker has experience of playing club rugby in France, against Lyon and Montpellier.
But had crowds been allowed for the Champions Cup semi-final it would have been another level.
"I grew up watching those games, like Leinster and Clermont in Bordeaux, and seeing the crowd," said the 23-year-old.
"They're the games you wanted to play in, in those hostile atmospheres.
“So it's great to see the fans starting to come back, we saw it in the Carabao Cup final.
"I'm relishing the chance to play in front of fans. We just can’t do that at the moment."
Leinster still don't know if they will have to quarantine together for 10 days on returning to Dublin, but Kelleher insists that uncertainty is not a distraction to the squad.
“No, it hasn’t actually been discussed," he said. "We’re just waiting for the powers-that-be to figure that one out.
"We’ve been part of a fairly strict testing schedule for the last nine months or so, or however long it has been.
"Whatever happens happens. Hopefully it will get sorted.”
For plenty of Leinster players, there is also the matter of Lions selection next Thursday.
"It’s something every young player would dream of but looking at the competition in our squad, it would be pretty silly to look ahead to the Lions when you're scrapping for your place here," Kelleher reasoned.
“It would be incredible, but there's a lot of rugby to be played between now and the Lions tour.
"We still have to win a Champions Cup, so that's the main focus at the minute and then onto the Rainbow.”
