The Bulls have a chance to rewrite their story. After three years of final heartbreak, they face Leinster in the URC Grand Final at Croke Park on Friday night. The last time these two met in a final, Leinster smashed them 32-7. This time, the Bulls say they're different.

They've won eight matches in a row. They beat Glasgow Warriors 22-21 away in the semi-final. They've recovered from a seven-match losing streak earlier this season. Coach Johan Ackermann has built a squad that believes it can win in Dublin.

Leinster are chasing back-to-back titles. Victory would give them a record 10 combined crowns across the Celtic League, Pro12, Pro14 and URC. But they're coming off a painful Champions Cup final defeat to Bordeaux-Bègles in Bilbao last month. They were thoroughly outplayed that day, and the criticism has been sharp.

"We talked about how good last year was, and finishing this season on a high," said winger Tommy O'Brien. "Obviously we were so disappointed a couple of weeks ago against Bordeaux, but the one silver lining is that we had a couple of games straight after."

Coach Leo Cullen made three changes from the semi-final side that beat the Stormers. Ireland internationals Tadhg Furlong and Jimmy O'Brien return to the starting lineup. Captain Caelan Doris, who'd been doubtful with a fitness concern, was included when the team was named on Wednesday. But prop Andrew Porter misses out after suffering a calf injury against the Stormers. His absence could weaken the Leinster scrum — the very area where the Bulls hold their greatest advantage.

The Handré Pollard factor

One of the most intriguing individual battles takes place at flyhalf. Sam Prendergast lines up for Leinster against two-time World Cup winner Handré Pollard. Prendergast has been outstanding in recent weeks after being left out of the Champions Cup final squad. He scored 83 points in the URC this campaign and has started in consecutive Grand Finals.

Pollard, meanwhile, is the third-highest scorer in the URC this season with 127 points. The 85-cap Springbok was clinical in the Bulls' 45-14 demolition of Munster in the quarter-finals, slotting all six conversions. Leinster's Cullen was generous in his assessment this week: "He's a World Cup winner and what he brings to a team, they're a serious outfit."

Bulls' blueprint: scrum and power

Former Springbok captain Victor Matfield, a Bulls legend, believes the key lies in the forward battle. "I think you aren't going to beat Leinster at their own game, they're just too good at it," Matfield said. "We need to play the power-strangle game, but we do have the outside backs from turnovers and from bad kicks to hurt them from the back as well."

Matfield added that the Bulls scrum represents their clearest path to victory. "That is where they can win it, if they can win penalties there, they'll be dangerous."

The Stormers pushed Leinster deep in the semi-final before ultimately falling short. That performance exposed vulnerabilities the Bulls will now target with precision. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus pointed to the Stormers as a blueprint: "If you want to look at a blueprint on how to beat them, without getting a yellow or red card here or there, they can look at the Stormers. They came really close."

Leinster have played 13 league finals and won eight. Their pedigree on the big occasion is undeniable. But the Bulls have grown considerably since last year's humiliation. Ackermann has built a squad capable of winning in Dublin. Matfield predicts a one-score game. The stakes couldn't be higher for either side.