It is still plenty personal for Tadhg Furlong when Leinster and Munster collide as he insists: 'Alone it stands'.
His first time was down in the student section in Croke Park in 2009 when the provinces met in the Heineken Cup semi-final.
"I remember going nuts when Brian O'Driscoll intercepted the ball and went the length," he said. "Well, three-quarters of the way."
READ MORE: Caelan Doris' mind at rest despite concussive history as he studies head injury treatment progress
If that was a great day for Leinster and Furlong, his first taste of the action in a Blues and Reds derby wasn't memorable.
To this day that October 2014 meeting is the only time Munster have been on the right side of the result in Aviva Stadium meetings of the provinces.
Furlong was the second of three props to play at tighthead for Leinster that day in a 34-24 defeat.
“I got a head knock," he explained. “I didn’t get knocked out, I got a HIA."
Mike Ross started but came off early but Furlong only lasted around 15 minutes and Michael Bent, normally a loosehead, had to come up and shore up that side of the scrum.
The upshot is there is so much history in the fixture and, because of that, Furlong scoffs at the notion that it has lost its lustre.
"I’m obviously from the (Wexford) border, looking across into Waterford and so it's the border of Munster and Leinster," he said, adding that his mother is a Cork woman and that enhances the rivalry on a personal basis.
"There are Munster jerseys around, Leinster jerseys around. It’s always been a thing in my life, even in the rugby club in New Ross. So I grew up around it as much as anything."
Furlong smiles when he notes that the Munster jerseys he sees now are more of the '08 and '09 vintage when old sponsors Toyota were emblazoned across the front, not the Adidas ones of the present day.
It is an indication of where the power base now lies between the rivals.
“There are still Munster jerseys around," the 29-year-old said.
"You wouldn’t see it with the young lads in the club, but you’ll have a few alickadoos now with the Munster jersey and that!".
It gets a little more complex when it comes to the players' feelings towards their provincial rivals.
Furlong has toured and played with a number of Munster men. He roomed with Conor Murray on the 2017 Lions tour.
He's not sure, however, if he would make Peter O'Mahony's Christmas card list!
“I don’t know, I want to get on his gardening list, get the winter tips, autumn lawn care maybe, Furlong joked.
“You’re growing grass to eat, he’s just growing grass to make it look nice! I don’t actually mind a bit of gardening, I’m actually getting into it, but I’m not good.
“I wouldn’t say it's needle between the two teams or deep rooted hatred, not on my behalf anyway. But I want to win.
“We get on. I get on with the lot of them. I’m not unfriendly with any of them."
Leinster have started the URC season with five wins to top the table while Munster finally found form last Saturday in beating the Bulls, only their second victory of the new campaign.
It is the Blues who have hogged success for so long and it is over a decade since Munster last won silverware.
Yet for Furlong, this is still a massive stand alone fixture in the rugby calendar and his feeling is that is how it is still perceived outside of both camps.
"You look at Liverpool-Man City in the Premier League at the weekend, it’s such a one-off game," he said.
"It’s a big game, it stands alone, it stands outside tournament points, it stands outside league points. It’s a big game.
"I think that’s what’s exciting for not the group but for the people, the fanbase.
"It goes before my time, it goes back a long long way. I know a lot of their players. You’re teammates with a lot of their players for a good part of the season as well.
"I’ve a lot of respect for them, obviously I don’t know the inner workings of Munster Rugby. I’ve never played for them."
With a mischievous grin, Furlong added: "You should ask James Ryan that!".
Famously Ryan lined out for Munster against the Ireland under-20s to get much needed game time before Ireland's tour of the USA and Japan, where he made his Test debut.
Furlong concluded: "You know the players, you respect the players, respect how much Munster means to them as well, how much it means to the fans.
"This is it now, it’s a huge test. To be perfectly honest, we haven’t probably hit our straps so there is an opportunity this weekend to put our best out there."
READ NEXT:
Alan Mannus hands Shamrock Rovers massive boost ahead of Dublin derby clash with St Pat's
Tyson Fury v Derek Chisora date and venue confirmed for world title fight
Caelan Doris' mind at rest despite concussive history as he studies head injury treatment progress
Katie McCabe stars as Arsenal beat holders Lyon in Champions League
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
