By the time Johnny Sexton pulls on the number 10 jersey this afternoon it will be almost a full month since he last saw action.
Last time out, against Munster at the start of April, it was his 16-point haul that decided the Pro12 derby in the Blues’ favour.
But that effort came at a cost and due to an early European exit, missing the following round's win against Edinburgh meant that the Ireland out-half had the time to clear up a minor injury.
“I was just carrying a bit of a niggle with my knee from during the Six Nations,” Sexton told RTÉ Sport.
“I thought I had it sorted after I missed the Connacht game [a 7-6 defeat] and then it sort of flared up again the week of the Munster [match].
“By missing one game against Edinburgh it gave me a three-week window to try and get it sorted and I think we’ve got it sorted now.
“I don’t want to jinx myself but hopefully I’m over the worst of it now and ready to go.”
Leo Cullen’s side are well placed to secure a play-off spot. They have Treviso at home in the final round next week but obviously want to get the business done by beating Ulster at Ravenhill (3pm, live on RTÉ Radio 1).
A home semi-final is also up for grabs with Glasgow, Connacht and Ulster also hoping to sneak into the top two.
The hosts are in a more precarious position and a loss will leave them hoping other results go their way.
But Sexton doesn’t buy the argument that Ulster’s apparent bigger need for the points will make them the hungrier side.
The 30-year-old said: “We want to win as well. If there was nothing riding on the league it’s [still] a huge game.
“If we were both sitting near the bottom of the league and there was nothing to play for it would still be a massive game because there’s Irish places on the line, there’s bragging rights.
“The fact that they need to win to secure their spot in the top four and keep it in their own hands.
“We want to win to get a home semi-final and to make sure we get into the top four. It’s a huge game in every way, I don’t think it [comes down to] desire in these games.
“I don’t think they’ll want it more than us. I think it will come down to who plays better on the day.
“The referee will have a big influence. It will come down to small margins.
“I’m just looking forward to another big inter-pro. They are always huge games, they are always pretty attritional, abrasive, intense.
“I think people find it very strange, seeing the Irish players go out and kill one another, considering we are such good friends and we’re so close when we get on the Irish jersey.
“You never like to lose to your best mate even playing games in training, they get quite competitive."
The ex-Racing 92 man has won major honours with club and country in every year since 2010 so the vista of finishing empty handed this season doesn’t appeal to Sexton at all.
“From a motivational point of view, this is obviously the only competition we can win with Leinster so we want to finish on a high and come away with silverware,” he said.
“The first step of that is going up to a full Ravenhill Stadium to play Ulster at home, they don’t lose so many up there so to go up there and win will be very tough but it will be very special.
“The guys know how hard it is from last year when they got beaten really badly [26-10].
“We’ll largely be the same personnel so it’s a big challenge for us.”
