It's that time of the year again.
For the fifth year in a row, and the seventh time in eight years, Leinster stand 80 minutes away from a place in the Investec Champions Cup final.
As usual for this stage of the competition, Leo Cullen's side are at home for their semi-final, and it's a repeat of last year's final-four showdown, as they welcome Northampton Saints to Aviva Stadium.
Last year, the sides played out a thriller, with Leinster running out to a fast lead before being reeled in by the Saints, and it took a dramatic final defensive stand for Leinster to hold out for a 20-17 win.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's contest.
TV
Leinster v Northampton Saints is live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with coverage from 4.45pm.
That game, and the other semi-final between Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse on Sunday, will also be shown on Premier Sports.
ONLINE
We'll have live scores updates, match report and reaction from from the Aviva on Saturday.
RADIO
Listen to live commentary of Leinster v Northampton Saints on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
WEATHER
Saturday should be another beautiful day, with blue skies and a light winds, although temperatures could drop to around 11C by kick-off.
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
After an efficient, but unexplosive pool stage, Leinster moved up a few gears in the round of 16 and quarter-finals last month with two dominant wins against Harlequins and Glasgow Warriors, scoring a combined 114 points across those games, and holding both opponents scoreless.
That form has put them in as clear favourites for the title, despite defending champions Toulouse being on the opposite side of the draw.
It's familiar territory for Leinster, who are bidding to reach the final for the fourth year in a row.
While this competition has given them a lot of heartbreak in recent seasons, getting to the final hasn't been an issue.
This will be their eighth semi-final appearance since 2017, with their only two defeats coming away from home to French opposition (Clermont 2017 and La Rochelle 2021).
You'd have to go back as far as 2006 for the last time the province were beaten on home soil in the last four of this competition.
The most recent of their semi-finals was against this weekend's opposition, Northampton Saints, almost 12 months ago to the day.
Phil Dowson's side almost pulled off a miracle comeback to defeat Leinster that evening, but while their efforts fell just short, they would be celebrating a Premiership title the following month.
They've struggled to repeat that domestic form in 2024/25, and are set to miss out on the Premiership semi-finals this season, currently seventh in the table with three games left to play.
One of the best attacking sides around, they've returned to the Champions Cup semi-finals.
Their only defeat so far has been a 45-35 loss away to Stade Francais, but that came after a brilliant 30-21 win away from home against the Bulls in Pretoria.
They edged past Munster 34-32 in a classic to finish the pool stage, and that opened the draw up for them, giving them home games against Clermont Auvergne and Castres, both of which they won easily to return to the semi-finals.
On paper, the Saints aren't the same as they were last year, with Lewis Ludlam and Courtney Lawes no longer involved, while George Furbank, Ollie Sleightholme and George Hendy are all out injured.
The ace in the pack this year is Henry Pollock.
The 20-year-old flanker has taken thee rugby world by storm in recent months, scoring six tries in the Champions Cup.
Now a full England international, a big performance this week could cement his place in Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad, which is announced next week.
Team news
Leinster: Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; RG Snyman, Joe McCarthy; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Rabah Slimani, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jordie Barrett.
Northampton Saints: James Ramm; Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall (capt) Rory Hutchinson, Tom Litchfield; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Emmanuel Iyogun, Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison; Temo Mayanavanua, Alex Coles; Josh Kemeny, Henry Pollock, Juarno Augustus
Replacements: Henry Walker, Tom West, Elliot Millar-Mills, Tom Lockett, Chunya Munga, Angus Scott-Young, Tom James, Tom Seabrook
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
Previous meetings
Leinster 20-17 Northampton Saints, Croke Park (4 May 2024)
Leinster 35-19 Northampton Saints, RDS (19 December 2020)
Leinster 50-21 Northampton Saints, Aviva Stadium (14 December 2019)
Northampton Saints 16-43 Leinster, Cinch Stadium (7 December 2019)
Leinster 60-13 Northampton Saints, Aviva Stadium (17 December 2016)
The weekend's second Champions Cup semi-final takes place on Sunday, as Bordeaux-Begles host Toulouse in a repeat of last year's Top14 final.
Kick-off at the Matmut Atlantique is at 3pm Irish time.
Meanwhile, in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, Edinburgh host Bath at the Hive at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, while it's Lyon v Racing 92 on Sunday afternoon at 12.30.
