Leinster’s date with Bordeaux-Bègles has been in Leo Cullen’s mind for some time, to the point that he visited Bilbao, the Spanish city where Saturday’s final will be played, briefly before Christmas.Thoughts inevitably turned to a potential return to the site of the province’s last Champions Cup triumph. Since winning their fourth European title in 2018, Cullen and co have lost four subsequent deciders. Saturday is both their fifth final since the last trip to Bilbao and the latest tilt at a fifth European star. “I was here in November, so it’s definitely been part of my mental process during the course of the season,” said Cullen. “This is what you want, every year you want to get to finals.“It was a busman’s holiday, [I’m] always looking. It’s always nice to visualise things as you set off at the start of a campaign. To see it, to believe it, in a certain way brings back some memories of being here as well. “It was short. We didn’t hang around here too long so we were on the route to somewhere else.“Some of us have great memories here, there’s still a lot of players who were involved that day as young men and they’re a lot more experience at lots of different levels and it’s making sure you bring that experience and perform on these days.”Leinster captain Caelan Doris at a press conference at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao on Friday. Photograph: Nick Elliott/Inpho Cullen also met Noel McNamara in Bordeaux while on a trip to Bayonne before Leinster’s pool stage clash with the French side. McNamara, Bordeaux’s attack coach, was previously in charge of the Leinster academy. “I talk to Noel all the time and he’s a brilliant fellah,” said Cullen. “He was very kind to bring me and my son and father to his house for dinner. We were on a recce to Bayonne, and his family have obviously supported him massively through that adventure.“He’s in the opposition camp this week, and he will know a lot of our lads very, very well, so he understands this group well. We don’t wish him well tomorrow, but we’ve wished him well up to this point.”Of Leinster’s approach to Saturday’ game, captain Caelan Doris said: “A lot of it is down to trusting. Trusting the group, trusting the ability trusting each other.“We’ve found ways in games that we’ve been behind in so hopefully that will stand to us. But I think in the big games you just want to attack it and like I said narrow it down, not think of it as one big massive occasion, moment by moment there’s going to be a lot of fights and a big part of it is enjoying it, these are the days that you strive for.“At the start of the season you’re looking to be on this stage and the sacrifices that the squad, all the staff the families have made over the years to get us to a point like this, so attacking it properly and enjoying it as well.”