In contemplating today's final showdown, Ronan O'Gara recalls the last words said by Paul O'Connell before Munster broke through their Heineken Champions Cup glass ceiling in Cardiff in 2006.
The Reds got over the line at the third attempt to become Europe's top dogs.
O'Gara can today become only the second man in Heineken Champions Cup to win a final as a player and as a head coach.
To do that his La Rochelle team must overcome one of Leinster's best-ever sides - and one that has hit a rich vein of form.
The French giants battered the Blues into submission in last year's semi-final.
But O'Gara admits they will need more to break through their own glass ceiling in Marseille, to win the tournament for the first time - and at the second attempt in 12 months.
"I just remember the Biarritz final and there was a feeling from Paul (O'Connell) to the rest of the players, ‘We’ve got to play boys’," recalled O'Gara.
“What excites me is that my team can play. We need to get outside and then we’ve got juicy forwards. So we can play both games. We just need to play.
“Leinster have got great threats but it really excites me coaching this team.
"I don’t know where it will end. It may not be a happy ending here but I’m hopeful it will be, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was and I’m just trying to instil that.
“They’re just so willing, but where we are now mentally is that I’d like to think we won’t lose.
"We may get beaten, but there’s a massive difference. It’s important that the players understand that.
“With the quality of team we’re up against, Leinster won’t lose it. We’re going to have to beat them.
"That excites me because it’s possible if we’re accurate we can do something.”
The first man to win the tournament as a player and a head coach was Leo Cullen. He achieved the feat with Leinster in Bilbao in 2018, having previously lifted the trophy as captain three times.
Cullen will sit in the other coaching box this afternoon at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
O'Gara, then, will join an ultra-exclusive club if La Rochelle triumph, something they failed to do against Toulouse last year when he was Jono Gibbes' number two.
“I don’t think about those things until they're achieved," said the Corkman. "You can’t be certain but you would hope it would happen at some stage, so keep going.
"I love it here. We've a great group, good boys that have bought into the vision, the dream of competing on both fronts.
"It's a privilege to coach them. We've had many downs and losing two finals is desperately disappointing (La Rochelle also lost the Top 14 decider last year) but it took me six years as a player to win a Heineken Cup
"It’s a fantastic competition, I love it. I think we have the 23 to win it.
"We're up against a very classy team but have enjoyed the journey and it’s on in a mythical stadium tomorrow.
"We’re very privileged to be the last two dancing. We want to make the most of it. We showed it last year (in the semi-final) against Leinster in Deflandre.
"There will be 65,000 people here and the game will take on a life of its own after the kick-off. Hopefully we’ll all strap in and watch a fantastic game.”
O'Gara admits it is a "massive boost" that Leinster slayer Will Skelton can start after returning from injury.
However Leinster's ruck speed and the warp-speed tempo of delivery from Jamison Gibson-Park to Johnny Sexton is of major concern.
"There are elements of Leinster’s game you must respect and you have to get a handle on - otherwise it’s going to be a long day for us," said O'Gara.
"But what's important is that we play.
"I was that guy that froze in a first final and that happens. People will freeze but you’re just hoping that not too many of the boys will.
“So from my finals as a player, the Northampton game was a non-event, the Leicester game was good because firstly you played.
"That’s what experience is, putting yourself in the same scenario and doing it better the next time."
