Leinster flyer Dan Sheehan says the province must now find their peak form if they are to avoid the "hurt" of another Champions Cup final loss to Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle on May 20.
The province went down to O'Gara's powerful Top 14 side in the 2021 semi-finals and then in the decider last May.
La Rochelle powered past Exeter Chiefs yesterday after Leinster's victory over Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday and European club rugby's biggest current rivalry will spark to life again on Lansdowne Road in just under three weeks' time.
READ MORE: Leo Cullen confirms Johnny Sexton won't play for Leinster in Champions Cup final
"It's nice to get La Rochelle again," said Sheehan, who scored one of five Leinster tries at the weekend.
"That one hurt us last year. To get another swipe at them, especially here in the Aviva in front of a home crowd, would be something special.
"We talk about it all the time, the Aviva is something special to us. We said at the start of the season that it was going to come down to (playing the big matches) at the Aviva.
"We have had good seasons in the past up to now - last year was a good example, we get to a (European) final, we get to a URC (semi-final) and we blow it.
"A big focus for us is making sure that we're peaking for the finals - I think there's plenty more in us, we want to peak here for the finals.
"Our set piece has been excellent so far this year. We are an improved squad, we have that winning mentality and hopefully now in a few weeks we will come fully prepped and be able to do the job."
Leinster will be confident that James Lowe (calf) and Robbie Henshaw (quad) will be available.
Skipper James Ryan added: "Having a final in Dublin, it is the stuff of dreams.
"We haven't been in that position before, it will be important in terms of how we manage the group.
"We have to strip it back, don't get too side-tracked by the occasion and be very much process-focused. I know that's boring, but that's what will be needed."
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen says that a plan will now be formulated to try to beat La Rochelle.
But with Bruce Springsteen playing at the RDS next weekend, Leinster will return to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday for their URC quarter-final against the Sharks.
Cullen will make changes to freshen up his side. "At the moment it’s more the Sharks and what they are bringing," he admitted. "That’s probably more front and centre of my mind.
"Toulouse had big men and they were carrying hard into us and were making a bit of headway through different stages.
"So that's the thing that we just need to focus on and how we improve there.
"Because Sharks, they'll pose many of those threats, some very strong ball carriers and are very good around the set-piece.
"So, yeah, great, great challenge again because they are well coached and Noel McNamara knows us well.
"They have plenty of danger, plenty of threats and pace out wide as well. We'll see how our guys come through and put a plan together because that can change things.
"It's about trying to get back to that battle-hardened mentality over the next couple of weeks."
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