Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan insists the province have done everything right ahead of a run of three Champions Cup final defeats.
Leinster head into Saturday's semi-final against Northampton at the Aviva Stadium looking to reach a fourth successive final.
After crushing defeats to La Rochelle in 2022 and 2023, they failed to beat their French rivals again in London last year when Toulouse beat Leo Kallen's side after extra time.
Sheehan says there has been no major change in approach this season as the team seeks to win its fifth European Cup – and first trophy since 2021.
“It’s easy to look at the last three years as a failure, but we really did everything we could before the final.
“I don't think anything has changed [this season]. We are full of enthusiasm, we have renewed ourselves and we have put [these defeats] behind us.
“There is a cheerful mood in the dressing room, but I would have said the same thing last year before the semi-final.
“All the lads are happy with where we are at the moment. Motivation levels are at an all-time high and we're looking forward to taking on Northampton at the weekend.”
On their way to the next trophy, they will face English club Northampton, who have had a difficult season at home.
However, like last year, they have found a way to excel in Europe and their attacking style will be a real test for a Leinster defence that has not conceded a point in its last two European games.
“We will likely adopt a high-risk, high-reward defensive strategy that has worked well in Europe over the past few weeks.
“After a tough game against Scarlets we need to make sure we don't develop any bad habits and that we stick to all our fundamentals.
“When you look at Northampton, they are a really strong attacking team who play great rugby – especially in Europe. They have beaten some really good teams by big scores.”
The 26-year-old had to wait a long time to return after a serious injury in South Africa last summer, returning in Leinster's win over the Stormers in January.
He wasted no time in regaining his fitness and was one of Ireland's standout performers in the Six Nations, with his final appearance for Leinster ending with a hat-trick against Ulster.
Sheehan said his body was feeling good since returning and thanked Leinster's medical team for their support.
“I feel pretty comfortable in the team, comfortable in my body and happy with the work the staff has done.
“It was pretty easy to come back – everyone made it as easy as possible. It's nice that I was able to have a good run of games to come back.
“Ultimately I wasn't out for too long, which was nice. It wasn't a big transition – I still have a bit of a rugby mindset.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
