This weekend will see Wales Grand Slam hero Liam Williams go searching for a Champions Cup winners' medal when his Saracens side face Leinster.
Having come up against the Irish province time and again during his time with the Scarlets, there's bound to be a host of familiar faces for the British and Irish Lions full-back to contend with.
But one potential Leinster starter hails from a lot closer to home.
That's because Williams and Leinster flanker Rhys Ruddock actually played together at the age of 11 for west Wales.
Back in 2002, Williams and Ruddock formed part of an under-11s side that took on an east Wales team blessed with some future famous faces of their own - two of which will also be featuring this weekend.
"There were a few good players that day because playing for East Wales was the two Vunipola brothers and Taulupe Faletau," recalls Rhys's father, former Wales coach Mike Ruddock.
They were other stars of the future playing that day. Josh Navidi packed down at tighthead prop for the west, while Kristian Phillips, Dan Fish and Sam Lewis also featured.
Williams was named on the bench, while Ruddock started at No. 8, acting as Phillips' vice-captain.
Fast-forward 17 years and Williams is arguably the best full-back in world rugby at this moment in time. Ruddock isn't too shabby either, proving to be an instrumental cog in Leinster and Ireland teams that are scarily efficient when it comes to success.
Depending on selection, these two former team-mates will compete for the biggest honour in European rugby this Saturday. It's a subplot that Mike Ruddock admits doesn't even come into his reckoning as a supporting father.
"It's not an aspect you really think about. You just wish him well, hope he does what he does best on the big stage but most of all hope he doesn't get injured and is on the winning team. Those are your thoughts.
"But they're all good mates because they played with and against each other."
But just what were the pair like as players when they were young? Back to Ruddock snr to elaborate, and it turns out very little has changed.
"Liam was very explosive," explains Ruddock. "He had good energy and work-rate off the ball.
"He would pop up in different situations. He was very dynamic and would finish things off.
"And he was brave because he wasn't the biggest of the backs in those days.
"Very brave and very talented - you could see that.
"Rhys was skillful, big and strong.
"Worked hard, lots of big tackles and rucks hit. Again, what you see today."
Williams and Ruddock didn't just play together when they were young. As they will once again on Saturday, the pair grew up playing against each other for their local junior teams - Williams for Waunarlwydd, Ruddock for Mumbles.
"Rhys played with Mumbles Youth until he was 18 so he'd have played all those teams. As we know, Welsh grassroots rugby is a great breeding ground for youngsters like that. They're from a hotbed of rugby at the end of the day."
From playing together as 11-year-olds, the pair took very different routes to the professional game.
After growing up in Swansea and representing Wales Under-18s, Ruddock joined the Leinster academy from Ospreys youth and declared his allegiance to Ireland, the country of his birth.
Williams was something of a late developer after not being picked up by any of the regions' academies, working as a scaffolder before eventually making his name at the Scarlets.
Regardless, they're both here now - the scenario similar, yet so, so different .
From the local Swansea village rivalries of junior club rugby to the two best teams in Europe - perhaps the world - fighting it out on the biggest stage.
It's been some journey.
