Johnny Sexton admits that the memory of Ireland's World Cup failure will live with the players for a long time.
The Ireland no 10 is looking forward to getting back on the horse with Leinster's drive for five in the Champions Cup after Ireland failed to land a glove on New Zealand in the comprehensive World Cup quarter-final loss in Tokyo.
Speaking at today's Champions Cup season launch at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Sexton confessed: "I think we're all dying to get back into another game of rugby, really, you want to get rid of the memories of the last one.
"I don't think they'll be gone that easily, it will live with us for a long time, how the World Cup finished for us.
"But yeah, just get back into a new competition and try and get that fifth trophy that we've been chasing."
Controversy-hit Saracens failed to send representatives to today's launch after yesterday's unprecedented Premiership sanction - a 35-point deduction and £5.36m fine for breaching salary cap regulations - beat Leinster in last year's final.
"We look back at that game with a few regrets but they're a top quality team and they're going to be tough to beat," commented Sexton.
"I think we will take the hurt from that into this season. We haven't changed too much in terms of personnel, there will be some more young lads coming through from the Academy system which has produced so many good ones over the years.
"And we'll be relying heavily on them again, we haven't made any signings as such for this season so it's the same group.
"And hopefully that will drive us on to try and get to the final again".
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