From domination to nearly men - Leinster's lost finals

Having tried and failed so many times in Investec Champions Cup semi-finals down the years, when Leinster first reached a decider back in 2009, they took to it like a duck to water.

The old cliche of needing to lose one to win one didn't seem to register with them as they beat the Leicester Tigers in 2009, before doing the same to Northampton Saints, Ulster and Racing 92 across the next decade.

It’s only been six years since they lifted the trophy for a record-equaling fourth time in Bilbao, but on Saturday they will be hoping to avoid making some unwanted history as the only team to lose four finals.

That’s the stick, while the carrot is adding a fifth star to their jersey, something only this Saturday’s opponents Toulouse can boast.

Here, we look back on how Leinster have had their hearts broken in those recent finals, first in Newcastle, then in Marseille and most recently Dublin.

SARACENS 20-10 LEINSTER, ST JAMES' PARK (11 MAY 2019)

Ten years after becoming European Champions for the first time, Leinster looked to cap off a decade of dominance by winning a record fifth title.

Defending champions at the time, having defeated Racing 92 in a tense final in Bilbao the previous year, Leinster moved with relative ease through the pool stage, the only blemish being a surprise 28-27 defeat to an up-and-coming Toulouse side in France.

Having squeezed past Ulster in a thrilling quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium, the defending champions looked back on track when they blew Toulouse away 30-12 in the semis.

It set up a final with the two-time champions Saracens, who had denied us of an all-Irish final when they outmuscled Munster in the last four in Coventry.

Leinster had comfortably beaten Sarries the previous year in the quarters, but