Ross Byrne doesn't believe there is any additional pressure on Leinster shoulders despite losing their previous three Champions Cup finals.
Leinster’s last success of four came in 2018 against Racing 92, while they have lost finals to Saracens (2019), and La Rochelle (2022, 2023) since that day in Bilbao.
"Every final has its own pressure. For us it’s just trying to go out there and put in the best performance we can.
"We’ve great experience as a group going into a final, and the last couple of knock-out games, it’s nothing too different in terms of preparation.
"[The Champions Cup] means a hell of a lot. It’s an incredible special competition.
"As a kid growing up, we would have watched it every year. I was fortunate enough to go to a few finals and watch Leinster winning.
"For so many of us, we’ve grown up supporting this team and watching them winning European Cups, so it does make it extra special for us
"I think it’s quite unique to have so many players playing the for club they grew up supporting so it really is a special competition for us."
Leinster come into the game off the back of a third URC loss in four games, which sees them sit in third place with one game remaining.
The 29-year-old, who didn’t play in the 23-21 loss to Ulster, admitted he was surprised at the amount of basic errors that the team made across the 80 minutes.
"It’s a little bit surprising but it’s a very tough place to go," he said of the reverse in Belfast.
"We started quite well but unfortunately a couple of errors put us in an exit cycle and we struggled to get momentum.
"We did very well to get back in the second half but a couple of errors, and they got back into the game and we didn’t get a chance to get the win."
Leinster and Toulouse, current Top14 leaders and 2022/23 winners, have nine Champions Cup titles between them and Byrne (below) is a big admirer of Ugo Mola’s side.
"They are incredibly unique, the way they play the game is unique," said the Dubliner, in line for his 159th Leinster appearance on Saturday.
"In terms of free-flowing rugby, the individuals they have, forwards and backs, they can all throw an offload and when they get in their flow they are very tough to stop.
"They are also a great club with a great history so it’s great to play a team like them."
Meanwhile, Ulster boss Richie Murphy, who was an assistant coach with Leinster for their 2009, 2011 and 2012 Champions Cup wins, wished his old team the best following his own side’s victory on Saturday night.
"It'll be a cracking game," he said.
"Let's hope Leinster can go and do it. I think they're in a great place, they're an incredible team, and even though, I don't know how many players they were missing [against us], no matter who they show up with they're hard to beat."
Donal Lenihan and Bernard Jackman look ahead to Saturday's evenly matched Investec Champions Cup final between Leinster and Toulouse. pic.twitter.com/IQkGpKbu8W
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 20, 2024
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