O'Callaghan unfazed by 'boring' tag

Donncha O'Callaghan offered no apologies for the style in which Munster were crowned European champions after a ferocious Heineken Cup Final victory over Toulouse.

Donncha O'Callaghan offered no apologies for the style in which Munster were crowned champions after a ferocious Heineken Cup Final victory over Toulouse.

The powerful Munster forwards stifled much of Toulouse's natural exuberance and, after edging ahead for the final time with fifteen minutes remaining, closed out the game in cold, clinical fashion.

Munster's captain Paul O'Connell even declined a kickable penalty with 90 seconds left because it risked handing possession back to Toulouse, who had already served notice of their potential to create a try from nothing.

Instead, Munster took the quick tap and kept the ball at close quarters, eating up the seconds until referee Nigel Owens blew up to confirm their second European title.

“It may be boring but who cares?” said O'Callaghan, his face scarred and body sore from a fierce forwards encounter.

“I have got a medal in my pocket.”

It was the tenth of thirteen Heineken Cup finals to be decided by less than a converted try and O'Callaghan believes Munster, under the stewardship of Declan Kidney for the last time, were better prepared for such a contest.

The Munster forwards won crucial collisions at the breakdown and in the scrum, successfully disrupting Toulouse's possession, and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde was made to look exactly what he is – a stand-in fly-half.

Munster came roaring into the game after a slow start and Denis Leamy pounded over the line to earn a narrow 10-6 half-time lead.

The match seemed to be turning Munster's way when Toulouse captain Fabien Pelous was sin-binned for aiming a petulant kick at the magnificent Alan Quinlan.

But despite being down to fourteen men the French giants drew level at 13-13 when a dash of brilliance from Cedric Heymans created the opening for winger Yves Donguy to score.

Pelous returned but was penalised again, this time for not rolling away in the tackle, and Ronan O'Gara landed his third penalty of the day to earn Munster the vital final advantage.

Munster then turned the screw to give Kidney, who takes over as Ireland coach later this summer and Australia-bound assistant Jim Williams the perfect send-off.

“It's incredible,” said O'Callaghan.

“We knew it was going to come down to small margins. The thing is that you learn from experience from the tight games you play like this before.

“It comes from playing in the All Ireland League, schoolboy rugby and how to win it out. It might be boring but who cares? It is effective for us.

“There was just such a great sense of belief even when we were behind the posts after their try. We looked around and there was that belief that we were not going to lose.

“It's great that we are sending the coaches off on the biggest high possible.”

Kidney will replace Eddie O'Sullivan as Ireland coach next season having led Munster to all four of their Heineken Cup final appearances – agonising defeats to Northampton and Leicester in 2000 and 2002, followed by glory against Biarritz in 2006 and now Toulouse.

“It was an emotional dressing room – it was a special place to be,” Kidney said.

“To win this trophy once is special, but twice is a dream, it is something else. Not many teams finish on top against Toulouse.”

For Byron Kelleher, Toulouse's New Zealand scrum-half, it was the second time in seven months he has left the Millennium Stadium having been taught a painful lesson in the difference between winning rugby and expansive rugby.

Kelleher was in the All Blacks team beaten 20-18 by France in the World Cup quarter-final after spurning repeated opportunities to “win ugly”, either with a late drop-goal or by drawing a penalty.

“Finals are about winning and you do whatever it takes to win,” Kelleher conceded.

“The reputation of the All Blacks is definitely being able to play with the ball and we have players who have natural ability to do that.

“But we weren't smart enough in that World Cup. You have to integrate the two together because in finals and in the World Cup the style changes.

“Munster know how to be smart, they certainly know how to close out a game. It was similar to the World Cup, where teams went into a nutshell and played safe and boring rugby to win the game.

“I think it is really good for New Zealanders to experience playing over here and hopefully then return home to grow the knowledge in New Zealand.”