With the pool assured and a home Champions Cup quarter-final already secured, you could be forgiven for thinking Leinster minds may be drifting towards the knock-out stages. Not so it seems, with pride and revenge on the mind for Saturday's trip to Montpellier.
Leo Cullen’s side are in outstanding form heading into the pool three finale. They are five wins from five in Europe, are coming off the back of three inter-provincial wins in the Pro14 over the festive period and are averaging 35 points a game this season.
Yet for all their swashbuckling style, players and management are all too aware of what Saturday’s trip (kick-off 1pm) to the Altrad Stadium to take on a ferocious Montpellier side entails.
Last season Leinster made three visits to France in the competition and failed to return with a win.
Champions Cup - @Munsterrugby hopeful about @peterom6 - @henshawrob wants Larmour in #SixNations panel. Plus bye bye @TommyBowe14 #rterugby pic.twitter.com/mAJiD5Ae15
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) January 16, 2018
A draw was salvaged in Castres in their final pool outing, while Clermont ended their interest at the penultimate stage despite a spirited fight-back. Also in the memory bank is a loss to Saturday’s opponents.
Robbie Henshaw remembers all too well how events transpired on their last visit to the Mediterranean coast.
"We want to right the wrongs over what happened over there last year. It’s a massive challenge for us. We want to finish the group stages on a high and with a clean sweep,"he told RTÉ Sport.
"It’s going to be extremely hard and a different challenge.
"We gave up a lead last year and it was hard to claw back against them."
A try at the death by Isa Nacewa, which the captain converted, salvaged a losing bonus point in a 22-16 loss where the rampaging 21 stone Nemani Nadolo helped himself to a brace of tries.
Food for thought for the 2018 crop of travelling Leinster players.
"We didn’t win in France last year," Girvan Dempsey reflects. "We know that travelling to France, for any team, it’s a tough place to go and play. We realise that Montpellier will be smarting after a heavy loss to Exeter. They are a proud club and are very strong club at home.
"We recognise that if we want to win this trophy, we want to be competitive in the knock-out stages and progress, we have to be beating the top teams and Montpellier are one of the top teams."
Even far removed from the dark arts of the front row, Henshaw pinpoints the battle of the respective packs as key to the outcome.
"A massive part of this game will be won around the physical side of the game. To get on top of a French team, you have to win the battle up front."
In the reverse fixture back in October, Tadgh Furlong was part of a Leinster frontrow that gave up 25kg to their direct opponents of Mikheil Nariashvili, Bismarck Du Plessis and Antoine Guillamon.
The Lions prop is relishing the opportunity for Leinster to test their mettle against their imposing opponents and believes it will be a litmus test in gauging the development of the team.
The Top 14 side have just one victory in five previous attempts against the three-time European champions and have mustered just six tries in that period, but they have progressed significantly in recent seasons and won't be underestimated by Furlong and company.
"It’s a challenge to see where we are as a group of players going over to France and see if we can perform"
"There’s no bigger a challenge than facing a pack their size, especially at home.
"French teams, the way the home crowd gee them up and get them into the game, it can be an intimidating pace to go. We just try and stay level headed and continue playing our sort of rugby.
"It’s a challenge to see where we are as a group of players going over to France and see if we can perform."
Listen to live and exclusive Champions Cup radio commentary of Montpellier v Leinster (Saturday 1pm) and Wasps v Ulster (Sunday 3.15pm) on RTÉ Radio 1.
