Leo Cullen hit back at Leinster's critics as the province set their sights on a first double since 2018.
Champions Cup victories over Ulster and Leicester Tigers in successive weeks have propelled Leinster into the semis for the 14th time and they will host Sharks' impressive conquerors Toulouse in a repeat of last year's last four tie at the Aviva Stadium at the end of the month.
At the same time, those latest triumphs drew renewed attention to the resources at the Blues' disposal, with so many Irish Grand Slam winners on the books.
READ MORE: Wait and see over Ryan Baird and James Lowe for Champions Cup semi, says Leo Cullen
Ulster boss Dan McFarland spoke of Leinster's much greater playing numbers and "way more" earning potential after his side's last 16 exit.
Then, after watching his side suffer a 55-24 defeat last Friday night, Tigers supremo Richard Wigglesworth moaned that "the gulf is what you have available to spend.”
Afterwards, Cullen laughed when those two views were put to him - but they clearly hit a nerve as he defended the Leinster way.
“Not long ago we were having the conversation about the gulf between us and others, French teams in particular," he said.
“Obviously English rugby is going through a tricky patch, so they’ve had to shrink their budgets off the back of clubs going out of business. That’s probably called what, sensible business?
"We’re just focussing on what we can. I always think we’re only scratching the surface of what potential we have."
Cullen said a big concern after last season was that there were only 6,000 supporters at the URC quarter-final against Glasgow and around 10,000 for the last four defeat to the Bulls. Leinster's response was to get out around the province more.
"We had a good look at ourselves because there’s some sort of disconnect there," he stressed. "Maybe we weren’t doing enough. We tried to push that.
"I’m focused on what we can do better, not really what other teams are doing or saying. What other teams say is sort of wasted energy for me commenting on, even."
Cullen points to the quality of staff at Leinster's disposal as a key ingredient, allied with "unbelievably passionate" players.
He reflected: "It’s not that long ago, 20 years ago in 2003, we lost a semi-final here against Perpignan. You were a little bit ashamed to walk our your front door because we under-achieved.
"I have that match programme. I can tell you exactly where it is, it's on my desk. They stick in the memory.
"People have short memories, unfortunately I have a long one."
Cullen grew up watching Ulster become the first Irish province to conquer Europe after a period of interpro dominance in the late 1990s, then watched Munster take over and win the Heineken Cups in 2006 and 2008.
"It's hard work, there's no secret to success," he argued. "You've got to have guys willing to put in hard work. The minute you get complacent there's somebody else waiting to take your spot.
"What would you say Ulster's domination in the 1980s and '90s was based on? Probably a really strong group of players who worked hard for each other.
"That's what we're trying to create here and have all the time. It's not rocket science."
He stressed that the same formula worked for Munster, adding: "We were hugely envious - they had domination for 10-12 years. Yeah, people have funny memories, haven't they?
"For us, it's trying to deliver on the big stage. That's what it's all about.
"You get to a semi-final and you just have to take it one game at a time - all the cliched stuff that you hear.
"It's an unusual sequence. We have a semi-final, then have a quarter-final of the URC the week after. It's an unusual dynamic.
"How that gets navigated is going to be tricky."
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