David Strettle is braced for a tough reunion with old team Saracens when his Clermont Auvergne side face the English outfit in the European Champions Cup final.
Strettle, who spent five years with Saracens, scored one of Clermont's two tries in their 27-22 semi-final victory over Leinster at the Matmut Gerland Stadium.
It means the French side set up a meeting with Mark McCall's men in the last two at Murrayfield on May 13.
Peceli Yato and Strettle, plus the boot of Morgan Parra, put Clermont in control before Leinster roared back into the game.
Johnny Sexton ended the game with five penalties and converted Garry Ringrose's try, but Camille Lopez's two late drop goals took the Top 14 team home.
"I'm knackered, that was a tough game. We knew Leinster wouldn't give up," Strettle said.
"We said we had to start well in front of this remarkable crowd and we did that. But we knew they would have a purple patch and they did.
"In Camille we have got a player who can control the game. Now we have to go and do it all over again in the final. You can see how good a team Saracens are.
"It is going to take a hell of a job to beat them."
Leinster saw captain Isa Nacewa yellow carded in the first period for pulling back Scott Spedding and they turned around 15-3 down.
Sexton's boot got them back into it, but the crucial moment came when Dan Leavy's second-half try was ruled out for the flanker's holding of Aurelien Rougerie.
It allowed Lopez - with a penalty and two drop goals - to take Clermont home, despite Ringrose sprinting clear for a wonder try from 50 metres.
Saracens were 10-26 winners over Munster in their semi-final and Clermont's English wing Nick Abendanon said: "We are going up against the best team in Europe. We all watched the game and Saracens put up a mighty game against Munster.
"Two years ago we played them three times in the Champions Cup and we beat them twice. This year I hope we have shown we are a more mature side."
Leinster fly-half Sexton admitted his team made too many first-half mistakes to win the game.
He said: "We gave them a head-start and you can't do that in a semi-final.
"We still felt we could have won it at half time, but we were beaten by an impressive side and we have to take our hats off and say we weren't good enough.
"It's a new feeling losing in a European semi-final - I've never that felt that before and it hurts."
Source: PA
