Caelan Doris wants to make his first time special as he craves this chance to join his Champions Cup winning colleagues in the winners club.
The 24-year-old was among an influential trio who didn't play in last year's semi-final loss to next Saturday's final opponents La Rochelle - and Leinster weren't the same force without Johnny Sexton, Jamison Gibson-Park and Doris, the back row from Mayo.
"I remember watching it with the other injured guys and there was a real frustration," he said. "There was a lot of reflection after that week."
But the Blues will be close to full strength in Marseille next weekend and look a stronger side than the one beaten by Saracens (twice) and La Rochelle in the play-off stages of the competition over the past three years, as was evident in their last two wins in Europe against Leicester Tigers and Toulouse.
"I think there's a lot of belief, a lot of trust amongst the squad in each other, in what we’re doing and how we’re training," said Doris.
"There's also a lot of hurt from the last couple of seasons.
"There's always big motivation when it comes to Europe, it is the pinnacle of club rugby, and I think there is a bit of feeling of if not now, then when?
"It feels like a lot of things are going right, obviously La Rochelle are a quality team and are going to be extremely tough.
"Ronan O’Gara knows us pretty well so I’m sure he’ll be coming up with a good plan to stop us but hopefully we’ve improved since last year in terms of stopping the big fellas.
"We’re fortunate that this is our final now and there’s obviously massive motivation, making sure it’s our best performance and we haven’t peaked too early."
Doris watched the province's last European triumph - against Racing in Bilbao four years ago - in Ealing with the rest of the Leinster A squad when they won the British and Irish Cup, before flying home to join up with the new champions in Dublin.
When the Blues made it back to the Champions Cup final the following year against Saracens, Doris was there - but was on a busman's holiday, not in the panel.
"I remember travelling over to Newcastle - it was Newcastle wasn’t it? - I’d a few beers in me that day," he laughed.
"I wasn’t the 24th man, I just remember I went over on the day and it was a sea of blue as we arrived at the stadium and how strong the travelling support was and there was an unbelievable atmosphere.
"It obviously wasn’t a successful day in the end."
But now this is Doris' time. Earlier this week he was named, along with two Leinster colleagues, on EPCR's five-man shortlist for European player of the year.
He has become a key member of Andy Farrell's Ireland squad and, at 24, is hungry to add a first European title to his ever-improving CV.
"It would be unbelievable," said the Mayo man.
"We talk a lot about driving the legacy together and that for me means a combination of the past, the present and the future of the club and recognising how the previous successes the club was built on and how it went through a tough patch.
"Those successes inspired a lot of this group to be where they are today - and we have the opportunity to inspire the next generation through our successes.
"In a way I feel like the legacy is in our hands and we have an opportunity to inspire the next generation, so there is that level of it - but then there is also just the pure enjoyment and the thrill and delight at winning a final.
"It is definitely something I want to do with this group. It’s a special group, pretty tight-knit, there's a lot of close friends within it. It would be amazing to do.
"Speaking to some of the older guys, Johnny (Sexton), Cian Healy and more, how fond the memories they have of even going back further, to 2011 and how special those days are and how they still remember them so clearly and so well -.and yeah, I’m hoping for a day like that."
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