This weekend, Leinster shoot their shot at greatness.

The reigning Guinness PRO14 champions defend their European Champions Cup crown against Saracens at St James’ Park in Newcastle, bidding to become the most successful team in the competition’s history.

With victory, Leo Cullen’s side, a force of nature in Europe in recent times, would seal a fifth Champions Cup – more than anyone else – and here’s how they put themselves in position to make history.

A breakneck opening

Leinster’s defence began when they welcomed Wasps to the RDS Arena – and immediately sent out a fearsome statement of intent.

The hosts crossed the whitewash eight times in total en route to a 52-3 triumph, with Luke McGrath and James Lowe both going over twice.

However, their 2018-19 campaign would prove to be no cakewalk, Leo Cullen’s troops going down 28-27 at Toulouse, Maxime Medard finishing off a spectacular length-of-the-field move to condemn the visitors to defeat.

In Round Three, Leinster were on the road once again but this time, in England, Jordan Larmour’s intercept try inspired them to a 17-10 success over Bath, putting the Leinstermen temporarily top of Pool One.

Wrangling the Reds

In their final European outing of 2018, the defending champions renewed hostilities with Bath at the Aviva Stadium and hit the heights once again, running out 42-15 winners.

Six different try-scorers dotted down, with Cullen’s troops securing their bonus point inside the first half.

That teed up a virtual Pool decider against Toulouse at the RDS – and Leinster rose to the occasion emphatically.

Cullen’s troops were in fine form as they sealed a dominant bonus-point success over their French opponents, Jack Conan, Rob Kearney, Sean Cronin and Adam Byrne scoring to halt a free-flowing Toulouse in their tracks.

A 29-13 victory put Leinster in full control of Pool One and they rounded off their qualification for the knockout stages with a domineering 37-19 victory at Wasps, Cronin going over twice.

The Byrnes catch fire

The quarter-finals threw up an all-Irish, all-Guinness PRO14 showdown, with Leinster pitted against Ulster at the Aviva Stadium.

In front of more than 50,000 fans, the two teams served up a cracker, with Leinster eventually coming out on the right end, winning 21-18.

Namesakes Ross and Adam Byrne went over as Cullen’s side came from behind, with the former slotting away a late penalty to settle matters and keep the Leinstermen on track for a fifth European title.

History repeats itself

In April, with a spot in this weekend’s Newcastle showpiece on the line, Leinster fittingly renewed hostilities with Toulouse.

A titanic tussle was in the offing and Cullen’s charges shone once again at the Aviva, grinding their way to a 30-12 triumph.

Lowe and McGrath went over before the break, with Scott Fardy, in as a late replacement for Rhys Ruddock, also scoring in the second period as Toulouse threw everything at the men in blue but couldn’t stop their march to the final.