Champion Cup: Sarries the itch that Leinster coach Leo Cullen must scratch

'It still feels like we're chasing them now because, after winning the quarter-final here a couple of years ago, to lose in Newcastle last season was hugely disappointing for our group'

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen ahead of the Heineken Champions Cup Final match between Leinster and Saracens at St James' Park last year. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Such is the nature of sports and the people who partake in it at an elite level that it is disappointment rather than satisfaction that lingers longest.

So for all the admiration that Leo Cullen and Leinster have generated for their 25-match winning run and the successful retention of their Guinness PRO14 title for the third season in a row, it is what happened 26 games ago that has remained the reference point throughout this 16-month period of remarkable consistency and superiority.