Caelan Doris insists Leinster are focusing on the positive after using the hurt and pain of last year to drive them to within touching distance of double glory.
The Blues were left devastated when they lost the Champions Cup final to La Rochelle in Marseille and then the following week failed in their bid to reach the URC decider when they were overturned on home soil by the Bulls.
This time around the roles are reversed, with their URC semi-final against Munster on Saturday preceding their latest crack at Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle - with both games taking place in the Aviva Stadium.
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Doris said: “We’re in a unique position of still having that hurt so fresh in the mind. The changing room in Marseille and after the Bulls at the RDS are pretty dreadful memories and there is a lot of hurt and pain from that.
“But we also have the opportunity to potentially lift two trophies here at home in the Aviva in front of family, friends and home supporters. We love playing here and we have a pretty good record here over the last few years.
“So I think we have kind of pushed away from the negative memories and feel a pull towards what could be a very special couple of weeks.”
Tickets go on sale this morning with the capacity raised from 17,000 last week to 29,000 for the latest chapter of this big interpro rivalry.
“I’m sure there will be an unbelievable turnout here as it's Munster," said Doris.
"It will hopefully be close to full, which would be class. The interpros are always pretty special going up against your national teammates so that would be huge."
Munster confirmed yesterday that Conor Murray, RG Snyman, Malakai Fekitoa and Calvin Nash will be absent after all suffered head injuries in last weekend's 14-5 victory at Glasgow Warriors.
Diarmuid Barron (shoulder) and skipper Peter O'Mahony (elbow) will both be assessed throughout the week, but it would be a big boost for the Reds is O'Mahony, who had a scan yesterday, can make it as Munster look for only their second win in their last 10 meetings with Leinster.
Doris was pleased that, against the Sharks last Saturday, Leinster once more showed that they have improved in terms of physicality for what's to come from La Rochelle next week, but he says it will be important this week too.
"Definitely, yeah," he commented. "That's going to be key in terms of getting our breakdown right. Obviously you've seen the threats La Rochelle have and how hard they go at the breakdown, so it's going to be a massive area going forward.
"And the same with Munster this week, they have big breakdown threats as well and they'll target that too."
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