From one captain to another, this evening's Cape Town collision represents the biggest day of their club careers.
Stormers skipper Steven Kitshoff made his debut in 2011, by which time Peter O'Mahony was a season into his time with Munster.
It was the same year that Munster last won silverware - they beat Leinster to the Magners League trophy in Thomond Park.
READ MORE: Graham Rowntree bristles at suggestion Munster are in bonus territory for URC final
O'Mahony wasn't a part of the matchday squad and doesn't accept it as a trophy won on his watch.
World Cup winner Kitshoff, on the other hand, lifted the URC trophy after the Stormers beat the Bulls in last year's final.
The 31-year-old left South Africa for two seasons with Top 14 club Bordeaux. He returned in 2017 but will once again bid farewell to Cape Town after today's game. Ulster his next destination.
"I was involved since 2011 and knockout games-wise, there were 30,000 last year for the final, there'll be 55,000 this year against one of the monsters of European rugby," said the loosehead.
"So yeah, it's possibly the biggest game for the Stormers I've ever played in.
"It's my final game for now but I can always come back and will always keep the door open. It's going to be an emotional one but it's rugby first - it's 80 or 100 minutes of rugby, then we'll take it from there."
Stormers are awake to the danger, having suffered to Munster when the reds were there in mid-April.
"It was a tough one," Kitshoff said. "We understand the threats Munster pose, we had a real deep dive into their DNA, the way they play.
"We can't allow Munster to get their tails up, we can't allow them to score early. They scored a brilliant maul try against us last time but it's something we worked hard on, we fixed our mistakes."
Grand Slam winner O'Mahony has remained a one club man throughout, a stoic figure for so much of that period as the Reds got further and further away from the glory days of the mid to late 2000s when success was expected and largely guaranteed.
He has lived in the shadow of Leinster for so long - thus that semi-final victory was so sweet. For O'Mahony and the Reds' other long serving players, today is the reward for the barren years, a chance to win a first final in 13 years.
"It's come a long way," said the 33-year-old. "It's a difficult thing to do, to beat Leinster with the quality they have in the Aviva Stadium. Not many teams have.
"To go behind with not very long left, the way you navigate your way back up the pitch and get the score, it gives a huge amount of confidence to everyone.
"At the same time, as Graham (Rowntree) said, that can't be our final. It can't be.
"We have to play the occasion like we did against Leinster and Glasgow and before that. We have to play our game.
"We can't be happy with that performance. We've got to grow our game and we think we've done that in training. Hopefully it'll be on show."
The veteran back row shook off the elbow injury he suffered in Glasgow during the impressive five game unbeaten run on the road to the final.
His durability is renowned and O'Mahony will have to put it all on the line again in this season's final encounter.
“It’s a huge game for the club, a huge game for me," the Corkman said.
"We’ve had a long season, gone through different patches, difficult periods. We’ve had a couple of great weeks now and we’ve navigated our way through under difficult circumstances.
“I’m not going to say it’s not a massive occasion in my career for Munster, arguably the biggest. I wouldn’t disagree with Steven - it’s hard to deny when you get to finals.
"This is what you’ve worked for - not just for this season, but for a long part of his career and my career.
"It's hugely important for us to take the next step in these games. Getting to finals is hugely important, but for us it's about the performance - that's all we're focused on.
"Both teams in the final, it means a huge amount, I don't have to explain that. But it is who plays better. That's what we're focused on - and have been so for the last 48 weeks.
"They’re always big occasions. Every year, whatever team is in a final, it has to be one of your biggest. So I would certainly second what Steven was suggesting.”
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