Ronan O'Gara is going to have enough hype to deal with ahead of his Stade Rochelais’s Heineken Champions Cup final against Leinster so he was understandably shy about hopping the ball in the immediate aftermath of their semi-final victory.
All the former Munster and Ireland out-half would offer was a joke about plotting Leinster's Dublin downfall over a few beers.
The French side are the defending champions having beaten Leinster in last year’s final, but three weeks out find themselves as seven-point underdogs.
La Rochelle face Top14 games against Toulon and Montpellier before the decider, while Leinster have a URC quarter-final against Cell C Sharks on Saturday and, if successful, a semi-final against either Glasgow or Munster the following weekend.
O’Gara’s side took Exeter apart in Bordeaux yesterday in front of 42,000 fans; their 47-28 seven-try win was the highest semi-final score in the competition’s history.
The former Racing 92 and Crusaders coach preferred to bask in the glory of returning to their third final in a row than look ahead to the re-match with Leo Cullen’s four-time European champions, who were comfortable winners over Toulouse on Saturday.
"You’ll find it hard to believe but I haven’t thought about it," said O’Gara on BT Sport when asked about a final match-up with Leinster on 20 May.
"It would be huge disrespect [to dismiss Exeter], it was the last dance for Exeter today. I was nervous today because I understand their culture, I understand what they stand for. For me it would be ludicrous to look beyond it.
"Today was different. You obviously expect a game with supporters but this thing blew me away and I think we’ll savour that today and tomorrow, and we’ll make a plan for the future over a few beers."
He added: "I was with the Red Army [Munster fans] when I was a player, in stadiums like Twickenham with 80,000 people, but what happened today was bigger than rugby.
"It was enormously powerful for the club, for the city. The supporters are exceptional. They have saved their money this week to be here. It is very important for the players.
"To see such a connection between the public and my players, I really like it. It's something special, it's not 'normal' at all.
"I have no interest in talking about the final. Tonight, we will drink a few beers together. We will, I hope, sing. It is for days like this that you live rugby.
"In rugby, a month is already a long time for me. We really stick to the things we can control.
"We have an opportunity in three weeks to do something that few teams have done.
"But first, I have to prepare a group for Toulon to try to win the Brennus shield. It is to live days like today that we are in rugby."
La Rochelle second row Will Skelton said that Leinster, who have lost to the French side two years in a row, are the team to beat: "Leinster are a world-class team, they’ll be the favourites and we’ll do our best to prepare for an awesome match coming up."
Watch the BKT URC quarter-finals, Leinster v Sharks (Saturday, 5pm) and Glasgow Warriors v Munster (Saturday, 7.35pm), on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on the RTÉ News app or RTÉ.ie/Sport or listen to live commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
Follow a live blog of Ulster v Connacht (Friday, 7.35pm) or listen to live commentary on Game On on RTÉ 2fm.
