Heroes welcome for Leo's Leinster

And there was a chilling warning to anyone hoping to follow in Leinster's footsteps next season from the man who guided them to a repeat of their 2009 triumph.

"This isn't the end for this team, but merely a stepping stone to more success. This Leinster squad wants to create its own history and that's why they will be throwing everything into the chance of doing the double at the weekend," said Leinster coach Joe Schmidt.

The Heineken Cup winners have to travel to face arch-rivals Munster in the Celtic League Grand Final at a sold-out Thomond Park on Saturday to try to become only the fourth club to complete a domestic league and European Cup double and join Toulouse, Leicester Tigers (twice) and London Wasps in that elite club..

"The second time you win something is often meant to be the sweeter than the first because you have been there and done it and people expect. They know you are coming and you have produced it before," admitted Brian O'Driscoll.

"It wasn't easy to get through the Pool we were in and when you are sitting in the dressing room at half time and you are 16 points down, yet you come back with an 11 point victory I think there is something special about that and there is something very special about this side.

"Hopefully, we can grow and not sit back and accept that two Heineken Cups is the be all and end all, but drive on and be a team to be reckoned with and create something very special for the future.

"Now we have an opportunity to go to Thomond Park and make up for what happened four or five weeks ago and attempt to go after a double that I don't think has been achieved before.

"We are very much looking forward to that. It's going to be a very hard tussle down there as always, but it is always nice travelling having been crowned European champions the week before.

"The win in Cardiff is very high up there on my list of achievements, but I'm not going to give out gold, silver or bronze to different occasions. But it's right up there with the most memorable things I have done."