Mike Rhodes was missing last season when Leinster beat Saracens at the Aviva in the Champions Cup quarter-final.
The flanker was recovering from one of six surgeries, four on his shoulder, one collarbone, one hamstring, that he had in 2017/18.
So when he delays a conference call by a few minutes with assorted Irish press for a physio appointment he gets a pass.
"When you get to my age you need daily maintenance just to get out of bed, so everything is fine, just getting a bit of routine treatment," he reassures the listeners. He’s only 31.
Later it's revealed that he has a stiff back and that his fitness for battle on Saturday will be assessed later in the week.
Lying under a surgeon’s knife, or recovering from the process restricted the South African to 40 minutes of European action last season.
"It was quite a complicated process," he says of the shoulder issue, "infections and few different things involved."
This year, as Saracens bounced into the final unbeaten, he’s played in five games and scored two tries, including the breakthrough score against Munster in the semi-final.
There’s little mention, he says, of "payback" for the 30-19 loss within the camp but that’s just a line.
"We were beaten by a better side," he says of the defeat in Dublin.
"They played their typical brand of rugby, very precise, very organised. We’re expecting a similar thing this year. As we saw in the semi-final against Toulouse."
The revenge motif always gets an airing though, and occasionally it works.
However, one avenue that Mark McCall’s men will certainly be exploring is the kicking game they used to such effect in the Munster match.
Munster’s backfield trio that day had a combined tally of 15 international caps, while Leinster, if they field Rob Kearney and Jordan Larmour, will have 100 caps worth of experience at wing and full-back. Plus a certain uncapped James Lowe.
So do Sarries plan to adjust for the opposition, abandon a tactic that yielded eight wins from 11 contestable balls in the first half last time out?
Factor in that six Saracens, including out-half Owen Farrell, started England’s comprehensive win over Ireland in February and you’d safely put your money on the ball being in the air for a good portion of the contest.
"Leinster’s back three are more experienced and I’d say they are probably more skilled in the air than Munster’s were," says Rhodes, a two-time winner of the competition in 2016 and 2017.
"So we’ll have to implement our kicking game but we’ll have to execute it well with the kicks and the chases.
"I think there is still change to be had if we can do that. I think we are expecting a similar thing from them, the way they kick and contest.
"We’re going to have to be on our game there. It’s not the same opposition but if executed correctly there’s a bit of change to be had out if it."
Rhodes, who can also function in the second row, is likely to come into contact with Sean O'Brien and the ex-Sharks, Golden Lions and Western Province man is looking forward to facing the the London Irish-bound flanker.
"[He's] a world-class player," says Rhodes.
"He’s hugely experienced. He’ll be particularly up for it, being the final. It will be great to play against a player such as him."
Follow Leinster v Saracens (5pm) with our live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now App or listen to live coverage on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
