'It's important we have that nervous energy' - Cullen

Expectation is the price of success, and it's universal across all codes.

On the same evening that Leinster were beaten by La Rochelle in the Champions Cup final, the Dublin footballers were wrapping up their 12th provincial title in a row. If you were a passive fan you'd barely even have noticed. Just another step on the road to the bigger prize.

While Leinster's dominance of the URC isn't quite at Dublin's Leinster Championship level, it's become clearer and clearer as the years go by that they're judged on the Champions Cup.

That doesn't mean they take the URC lightly, particularly when they get down to the business end of the season; 10 of this evening's starting line-up to take on the Bulls lined out in the final in Marseille 13 days ago, a number that would be even higher if not for injuries.

While Munster and Ulster fans would bite your ankle off for some silverware, the URC just doesn't seem to be grabbing the attention for Leinster fans, whose side are just two wins away from a fifth title in a row.

Last week just 9,346 fans watched on as Leinster shook off their Marseille hangover to hammer the Glasgow Warriors, with just over 10,000 expected for tonight's visit of the Bulls to the RDS, well short of the 18,500 capacity.

Given the cost of living crisis, you can't argue with anybody who has had to drop a rugby game down their list of priorities, but after 40,000 packed the Aviva Stadium for the Champions Cup semi-final with Toulouse, the sight of so many empty spaces at the RDS will be a frustrating one for those at Leinster Rugby HQ.

When the Bulls came to Dublin in September, 19,419 people watched on at the Aviva, with the prospect of seeing live sport still a novelty in Ireland as the gates slowly opened following