The Irish province ran in five tries as they blitzed the five-time champions 41-22 in Dublin and will now face Stade Rochelais in the final on May 20, the team who beat them in last season’s showpiece game.

Cullen and his players are eagerly awaiting the showdown with the reigning champions, but the boss is acutely aware of how last year’s title bid collapsed at the last second in Marseille, which came after a semi-final drubbing of Toulouse.

"It's great to be in a final now, and hopefully it's going to be a special day,” he said. "There will be a fair old demand for tickets, but this what we wanted all season. Everyone has worked their butts off to get to this point.

"It's just trying to keep a lid on it now. There was a lot of hype after the semi-final against Toulouse last year and we didn't deliver our best game in the final. That's what we have to try and focus on."

‘The most pleasing thing is to be in a final because that’s what it’s all about. For us, it’s, ‘right, the job is done, that part of the job is done and let’s turn our attention to what the next challenge is going to be’.”

But Cullen admitted his delight with how Leinster dismantled Toulouse, particularly at the end of the first half when the visitors’ full-back Thomas Ramos was sin-binned.

"There was plenty of good stuff in the game.” he added. "When Ramos goes to the bin we get a couple of tries during that period, and I thought the guys were pretty clinical at important stages.

"The tries come in different ways. It's pleasing because there's a bit of variety in our game, and that's a thing we're trying to develop all the time.

"We're delighted to be through, but it's a semi-final, and that's about eking through by even a point, and delivering a better performance in the final."

Jack Conan was integral to Leinster’s dominant display, with No.8 crossing for two quickfire tries, and Cullen heaped praise on the Ireland international, who is back to his best after a difficult period suffering from an undiagnosed condition.

“He had his challenges at the tail end of last season, so he has been great through the Six Nations, and he has timed his run really well,” he said, “Big, physical carrying game from him.

‘It’s great Jack has come through it. There’s always little things going on in the background that not everyone is privy to.

‘It was a really good game for Jack and he has been in great form. Hopefully he kicks on and has a big impact over the next few weeks.’

Leinster Rugby head coach Leo Cullen praised his team’s ruthlessness in their Heineken Champions Cup semi-final win over Stade Toulousain on Saturday but warned against overhyping the performance.