1999: Ulster Rugby 21 Colomiers 6

Simon Mason was Ulster’s hero as they became the first Irish winners of EPCR’s elite competition in front of a capacity 49,000 crowd thanks to his six penalties.

A drop-goal from David Humphreys sealed the Irish province’s sole title in the competition to date, to the delight of the estimated Ulster 30,000 fans who had travelled for the final.

In a try-less encounter, Colomiers fly-half Laurent Labit had opened the scoring in the fifth minute with penalty, but the French side then had to wait until the 58th minute for their only other score, a penalty from Labit’s replacement, Mickaël Carré.

2003: Stade Toulousain 22 USAP 17

Toulouse became the second club to win the Heineken Champions Cup more than once when they followed up their success in the inaugural 1996 tournament with a hard-fought win against their French rivals at Lansdowne Road.

Toulouse looked to be cruising to victory when they opened up a 19-0 interval lead thanks to a 33rd-minute try by Vincent Clerc converted by Yann Delaigue, who also kicked four penalties.

However, Perpignan had other ideas, Manny Edmonds reducing the deficit to 19-12 via four penalties, before Delaigue landed his fifth penalty to ensure Pascal Bomati’s injury-time try didn’t matter.

2013: RC Toulon 16 ASM Clermont Auvergne 15

Jonny Wilkinson led Toulon to the first of their three successive Heineken Champions Cup titles with 11 points from his trusty left boot, after Clermont had dominated a thrilling final at the Aviva.

Clermont looked set to complete a perfect EPCR campaign as two tries in eight second-half minutes from Napolioni Nalaga and Brock James, plus one Morgan Parra conversion, gave them 15-6 lead after the first half had ended deadlocked at 3-3 from a penalty apiece.

However, Wilkinson reduced the arrears with his third penalty and then added the match-winning conversion after Delon Armitage scored Toulon’s only try 15 minutes from time.

Dublin has hosted three previous Heineken Champions Cup finals – two at the old Lansdowne Road and one at the Aviva Stadium, venue for this year’s showpiece between Leinster Rugby and Stade Rochelais on May 20. Here we recall those three games.