Regrets be damned! James Ryan is adamant Leinster can use the stored-up emotion of losing back-to-back Champions Cup finals as motivation as they aim for third-time lucky at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today.
The trick though is to keep the anger for the build-up and keep a cool head for the job in hand.
Because once the game begins there are advantages to be pressed home, not least the line-out where Leinster can build a platform, put constant pressure on Toulouse.
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“You do use those two previous finals as motivation,” says Ryan, “it hurts to lose big games and, I’d be lying if I said we don’t use it and it doesn’t come up.
“At the same time, Toulouse won’t be shy of motivation because we’ve beaten them the last two years in this competition.
“They’ve won five Champions Cups, it’s hugely important for them as a club too, so you’ve got two highly motivated teams.”
As far on-field action is concerned, Ryan is convinced the line-out will be where they can master their French counterparts — as there are four dedicated jumpers, Ryan Baird, Joe McCarthy, Jason Jenkins and Caelan Doris in the pack.
It is a vote of confidence from Ryan who returned from injury to play last week for the first time since February and, a line-out option himself, he has picked up a place on the bench.
While it is in Ryan’s absence Baird, starting in the no6 jersey, will continue to call the line-out as he has dome — superbly — through the three post-pool knock-out games.
“I think we’re in a good spot, a lot of the French teams pose different challenges in the line-out, typically they might or might not be aggressive in the air,” says Ryan.
“Bairdo did a great job against La Rochelle and I think he'll do a great job today as well because, for us, just pushing the quality of the drill our 'lift, jump, throw' quality hopefully we can put it all out there."
The line-out is, of course, just one of the many parts Leinster will need functioning correctly against Toulouse because there is a little doubt this is the coming together of two quality units, sides who prize the Champions Cup title.
Wanting to win is part of the key, being over-anxious can only be a hindrance.
"I'm not sure that 'obsessed' is the right word but we've a huge ambition to win every year.
"This is a competition that has always had a huge importance to us but we want to win the URC as well, a competition that's a lot tougher to win now than it has been.
"It's getting the balance right, it obviously means so much but in the week of a big game, a final, you need to find the sweet spot and you don't want lads so in their own heads about it and overdoing it.
"You want lads to be able to enjoy a week like this, enjoy the occasion, it's just getting the balance right. I feel like we got it right this week, so we're ready to go."
There is a sense of occasion about the game, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, is an impressive venue.
"I think Leinster v Toulouse is always a great game, somebody told me last week that Leinster and Toulouse have never met in a final, so I think it'll be a great game to watch, hopefully, it'll be a good game to play.
"Getting to play here, it's an amazing stadium and I've no doubt there will be an unbelievable amount of Irish support as well.
"So, we can't wait. These are the games you want to be involved in. We're unbelievably excited.
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