When the Bulls shocked Leinster to inflict a very rare trophyless season back in 2022, it triggered a long summer of soul-searching.
That summer turned into a four-year wait, finally ended with a 32-7 hammering of the Bulls at Croke Park.
As the face of Leinster Rugby, Leo Cullen has had a heavy weight on his shoulders after a series of semi-final and final defeats, both in the URC and Champions Cup.
"It was a great day today," he told RTÉ Sport at Croke Park.
"An amazing occasion at Croke Park. It's the stuff of dreams really, isn't it? For lots of Irish kids growing up. To experience a final here, big thanks to the support that we've had. It's just about enjoying the moment now."
Just under 47,000 people, a record for an final in Ireland, turned up at Croke Park, and Cullen was right in the thick of them in the Hogan Stand, part of the makeshift coaching box, allowing him to fully experience the noise.
"It's great for everybody. The supporters is the big thing. It was an amazing atmosphere out there today. Normally when you're in the Aviva, you're in a glass coaches box and you're way off getting the sense of the occasion so it was amazing.
"Two Wicklow lads [Cullen and Jack Conan] here getting involved in a final at Croke Park, a rare sight but listen, it was a great week, lots of great stuff over the course of a season.
"It's a very difficult competition to win, just the nature of the way the season is and there's a lot of great teams involved in. The South African teams have been an amazing addition to the tournament. The Bulls are a great team."
While it doesn't fully erode the pain of their Champions Cup elimination last month, it does allow them finish a campaign with something to show for it.
Although Cullen insists his side wouldn't be defined by their trophy haul.
"We had this question yesterday, wasn't it? Is your season, when you get to a final, is it a success or a failure?
"Unfortunately, you guys, the way you write, the losers of a final suddenly are failures. Whereas you get to the last day of the competition, I think you need to celebrate the two teams that are in the final.
"Obviously we've been on the flip side of that in the past. Does that deem us failures? I personally don't think it's a failure. We win today, it's great but we'll move onto the next challenge and that will be... we'll watch the guys that are on tour with Ireland and the Lions."
Bulls coach Jake White was effusive in his praise for Leinster after the game.
The former Springbok boss admitted he had been quietly confident about pulling off another play-off win against Leinster after their successes in 2022 and 2024, but added that his Bulls were totally outclassed by Leinster’s stacked squad of international talent.
"You have to understand, this is not a normal rugby team," he said of Leinster.
"We are naïve when… I made a note in my book, they are 19-0 up and they bring on RG Snyman.
"It’s just a different league altogether and that’s why Leinster supporters are probably so disappointed because they were waiting for that performance the whole year and we just happened to get the 40 minutes that they were waiting for the whole year.
"We couldn’t get our hands on the ball. I say again to all the Irish, I don’t think they give the credit to that Leinster team. They are well coached, they are fantastic guys as well."
This afternoon’s final was a third defeat for the Bulls in four appearances at the big dance, and White was blunt when asked what he needs to turn silver medals into gold.
"The lesson I've taken from that is we need more international players to play in our province. I need what Leinster have. I need to be able to fight fire with fire.
"They're sitting in the coaching box, 19-0 up, and say, 'RG [Snyman], warm up'. They put him on and let him menace the defence like he did tonight.
"I keep banging the same drum. I've coached some of the best players in the world, players who have won player of the year twice. If you're playing against 23 internationals, I think today Leinster were short with only 22, there is a complete difference.
"That's a phenomenal provincial team. That must be the best Leinster team, I know that's going to be headline but that must be one of the best Leinster squads they've ever had."
