Hugo Keenan says Leinster are acutely aware that Toulouse will be able to call upon the hurt of last season's semi-final defeat when the sides meet in Dublin on Saturday (3pm, live on RTÉ).
The French outfit arrived back in the Irish capital just seven days after a penalty shootout win over Munster after extra-time in the quarter-final in the Aviva Stadium .
Between the travel and the energy spent getting over the line, Ugo Mola’s team weren’t able to reach the same heights and were no match for a superb Leinster, who ran out 40-17 winners.
The visitors conceded 20 turnovers, missed 31 tackles and made one clean line break throughout a game that they never looked like winning.
The consensus is that Toulouse, leading the Top14, are in a better place this time around.
"I’m sure they’ve looked at that game and taken a lot of lessons out of it," the 26-year-old Ireland full-back told RTÉ Sport.
"They are probably still a bit bitter and hurting from it.
"It’s something that we have to be aware of as well. At the same time, they are the ones with five stars and they got there before us.
"It’s something that’s motivating us so we have to find things like that to keep driving us on.
"We have to use it in the right way, as a motivator but not let it seep into your mind, your thoughts.
"It’s been a disappointing last few seasons in Europe, losing in a final, semi-final and quarter-final and a lot of us haven't won a Heineken Cup so it’s definitely the number one goal for us this season.
"We are not going to be shy of motivation."
While he wasn’t at the club for last year’s encounter, Toulouse and England flanker Jack Willis (above) admits that putting right the wrongs is on the minds of the French outfit
"It’s obviously hard for me to tell not being here last year but I think the group are in a good position," said the 26-year-old former Wasps man, who has never played against Leinster before.
"We’ve been working really hard and training hard as well for a lot of the top games we’ve had across the Top 14.
"For me it’s been exciting to have been a part of the preparations not just this week but the last couple of weeks with Leinster on our minds.
"Obviously the exact same fixture the semi-final and we want to make sure we put the best account of ourselves out there and a performance in we can be proud of.
"We want to get the result more than anything but if we can get our processes right throughout the game and make sure we are still in the game because Leinster come out of the blocks quite hard.
"The first 25 minutes we see that. If we are in a position where we are happy after 25 minutes we know we’ve got a game on our hands and can really go after it."
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