Wary Heaslip conscious of history

They may have finished fifth and outside the play-offs this year, a full 16 points adrift of Matt O’Connor’s side, but the spectre of the Ospreys still hangs over Leinster when the day of a PRO12 final draws near.

Twice, in 2010 and again two years later, the Welsh outfit braved the bastion that is the RDS on the day of reckoning in the ‘domestic’ league and on both occasions they chiselled out unlikely title triumphs.

Now here Leinster are, in a fifth straight decider, but hoping to win just their second title in that time given Munster punctured that pair of Ospreys losses with another reversal down in Thomond Park three seasons ago.