O'Connell lauds loyal fans

Munster captain Paul O'Connell lauded his side's loyal fans after hoisting the Heineken Cup in Cardiff on Saturday.

Munster captain Paul O'Connell lauded his side's loyal fans after hoisting the Heineken Cup, saying that the red army of supporters saw them through a tough campaign.

The Irish side won the trophy for the first time in 2006 and lifted the trophy again with a tough 16-13 victory over Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

An emotional O'Connell said the victory exorcised some of the lows of the last year, namely Ireland's early exit from the World Cup, and he paid tribute to “a terrific organisation” that will now part ways with several senior players and coach Declan Kidney.

“I think it is more satisfying than last time,” said O'Connell.

“We have an incredible bunch of people and you feel a pressure when you wear the jersey which is so special to all of us.

“It was tough campaign and it is just incredible. We have shown bottle and courage and great mental strength today.

“Patience and possession were our mantra during the week. We were very patient when we had the ball.

We just killed them, we kept the ball for long phases and it put them under a lot of pressure.

“It was a war up front, but we took the game by the scruff of the neck. We worked our socks off, and the mental desire came through.”

Kidney, the new Ireland coach, hailed a “special” victory for Munster after the curtain came down on his reign.

A second European title in three seasons was secured by number eight Denis Leamy's first-half try and 11 points from the boot of prolific fly-half Ronan O'Gara, who was invited to hoist the cup alongside O'Connoll.

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

“To win this trophy once is special, but twice is a dream, it is something else. We have to enjoy it.

“You have good days and some tough days, but not many teams finish on top against Toulouse.

“We probably had to lose two [finals] to win two – some of the lessons we learned then, and through the hard times, we put to use this time.

“One of the things I learned from last time was that we were so busy in the aftermath we didn't have time to enjoy it so I'm just going to enjoy this one.”

O'Gara added: “We felt in control. We shut them down, and it was about keeping as much control as possible. The forwards were immense.

“It's a great day for me and Paul's gesture to allow me to pick up the cup speaks volumes about the man. This is the greatest day I've ever had with Munster.”

Meanwhile, Alan Quinlan – the official man-of-the-match – thanked the wealth of support he received from family, backroom staff and supporters which inspired the players to victory.

“I feel really proud to have won this and we owe a huge amount to the support we have had,” said Quinlan.

“It's amazing to win it again. The supporters here gave us a massive lift. There are a lot of sore bodies but it was worth it.

“Toulouse had us on the rack in the first 15 minutes. We have a massive squad who have all contributed and those lucky enough to be involved and the backroom staff have put in a lot of work in.

“It's a great achievement to represent Ireland and do it in front of these supporters is unbelievable and I'm lucky to be part of this achievement.”