Nathan Johns

I think it's time for us to get a beer.

Yeah, absolutely.

Cheers.

Hello and welcome to the Counter-Rocker Rugby Podcast brought to you by the Irish Times in partnership with Oak Energy.

European Finals weekend is here.

Ulster Montpellier on the Friday night in the Challenge Cup and Leinster against Bordeaux on the Saturday as Leo Cullen's side looks to break their finals hoodoo and win their coveted fifth European crown.

Gordon Darcy is here with me to preview all the action.

Darce, hello.

How are things?

We're much closer to what is all of a sudden becoming, well, it's a game that's looming into view.

It's funny, I remember once we saw the draw, we knew it was Bordeaux.

I think this game didn't quite have as much hype because Leinster are not going into it as favourites and there's almost a...

I've resigned acceptance among some people that they are going to be up against it.

But it's almost as if as things get closer, people get more optimistic.

There's more positive chatter about, you know, if this doesn't go right and the pressure that will come on once again.

And will this whole cycle repeat itself?

It's been a strange old build up, but we're here and we're a couple of days out now.

Why is that?

I mean, Leinster's relationship with pressure has been a fascinating one over the last couple of years.

You'd forgive them if there's almost just, again, that crippling nervous energy just because this has become a self-fulfilling prophecy of them getting to big European days and big finals and falling up short.