Traditions are important when it comes to a final. The set piece took on a familiar format. A player, Garry Ringrose, opposed the media, who were aligned in the shape of a crescent around a boardroom table, separated by a humongous bowl of fruit; a Carmen Miranda-style buffet. Everyone takes a deep breath. The years slip by, but conversational touchpoints remain the same. The talk of lessons, of harnessing and rebranding disappointment, the legacy scarring, the fresh resolve wrapped in a hope that it’ll be different this time, all form part of the narrative. It must be that way. Otherwise, what’s the point? Give up? Leinster to their credit have never done that, instead dusting themselves off. Again. And again. And again. Samuel Beckett’s words: ‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ They could represent a slogan for Leinster’s European misadventure. Leo Cullen’s charges will try and bridge an eight-year Champions Cup hiatus to the province’s last success in the tournament, coincidentally at Saturday’s venue, the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao. Four times since 2018, Leinster players have stood on a pitch and watched opponents lift the trophy. That sight can’t get any easier.Players don’t project negativity. Once understood, it helps to explain why they look at the glass being half full. It’s a safety mechanism. Ringrose, when asked about embracing finals week, replied: “I guess understanding the work that goes on in getting us to this point makes you savour every bit of a week like this, to have this opportunity. “I’ve mentioned before about the effort from the coaches, backroom, medics, all the staff to get this chance. The players as well. There’s a lot of work that goes in and there’s a bit of luck as well. So (we) try to soak up every bit of it, try to enjoy the week as much as possible.”Leinster's Garry Ringrose. Photograph: Dan Clohessy/Inpho [ Gordon D’Arcy: Leinster’s chances of Champions Cup success lie largely with two playersOpens in new window ]The 31-year-old Lions and Ireland centre contended that it’s important to sift through the good and bad and take with you what might be useful when opportunity presents itself once again. There is the usual chat about focusing on the process and not the outcome. It’s a belief that fully investing in the preparation is the way to go.His memories of 2018, the victory over Racing 92, are superficial. “I don’t think I left the hotel too much. I remember the stadium and the tunnel and the atmosphere. It’s a cool stadium and the crowd is right on top of you. In terms of those specifics, even seeing a few videos of it, it triggers a few memories.“When we heard at the start of that year that the final was going to be in Bilbao, we thought the sun might be out and then on the day it was lashing rain. There’s a bit of everything over there this week weather-wise.” Rain is forecast on Saturday. An omen. Players can’t afford to subscribe.Ringrose continued: “Our experiences of finals is that they can fall on fine margins. They can be high-scoring or low-scoring, so we’ll have to deal with whatever comes.” Bordeaux-Bègles, the reigning champions, are a team that’s easy on the eye. But it’s not all gung-ho rugby; they straddle the fine line between talent and work-rate, drawing on both qualities. “They have individuals that can do things that very few people in world rugby can do,” Ringrose said. “Watching them, they earn the right to create those moments off the back of the work they do as a team. “I remember watching them against the Bulls at altitude and they were winning the battles that you see some teams struggle with over there. I guess it’s a mental thing as well as a physical thing, but that shows their intent and work for each other, which then creates moments and rightly so are admired and applauded but it’s off the back of hard work.“They’ve an unbelievably good kicking game, but then if you don’t focus on the front line (defence), they’ll get through your line that way which is tough to deal with.” Ringrose is likely to find himself up against Damian Penaud, repackaged as an outside centre from his traditional wing berth following an injury to French international Nicolas Depoortere. “He (Penaud scores an) unbelievable amount of tries, but it’s probably the unseen work that he does off the ball, one of those Chris Ashton type players, who seems to know where the ball is going to be, and reads the players around him well. “And defensively, obviously, he’s a big man, strong, fronts up. His pace, he’s hard to get around too. (He’s an) unbelievably good player and it’s exciting to get a crack at playing him.”And that was nearly it. A final message? “Enjoy the week as much as you can but get the work done too. Enjoying can look different to everyone. But yeah, it’s always rung true to embrace the opportunity as much as we can.” Words to live by. [ ‘We’re going to have to put in a big defensive effort’: Adam Coleman relishing Leinster testOpens in new window ]