Colm Tucker surveyed the throng of supporters wedged into the Shannon clubhouse, the nerves of lunchtime having evaporated, replaced by a feeling of undiluted happiness. John O'Sullivan recalls another great day for Munster with the players that saw-off the All Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978.

Munster and Gloucester fans mixed easily, the dramatic shock value of the Irish province's victory in their Heineken European pool match prompting both sets of fans to assail the bar for contrasting reasons.

Tucker hadn't deliberately recalled the day in October 1978 when as a tousled-haired Shannon flanker he had been an integral part of Munster's black-lash, the ambushing of the Graham Mourie-led New Zealand side. Until last Saturday, alone it stood, that 12-0 win on October 31st, 1978, in Thomond Park folklore. It had been thrust upon him in conversation with a knot of Gloucester supporters. "I suppose, mate, that win will rank up there with the day you beat the All Blacks." Before Tucker could muster a response, a close friend stuck his head around from behind the Shannon man suggesting: "Listen here me boy, don't you ever go comparing an English side with the All Blacks."

There had been other great days in the interim on foreign fields but nothing comparable in that Limerick citadel; even the last post finale to a nailbiting win over Saracens in a previous European cup campaign paled in comparison with the accomplishment of 1978.

Gloucester 2003, though, won't supplant the All Blacks game in the affections of a province but it will engender the same glow of pride in years to come. Four tries, a 27-point margin of victory against the premier club team in England this season, coming off a poor second half performance in Perpignan: Hans Christian Andersen couldn't have penned a more preposterous script.

Tucker's apprehension pre-match had nothing to do with Munster's predicament, his thoughts dominated by the speech he was to deliver as a guest speaker at a lunch prior to the match. "I was nervous that morning but once I got to the ground I managed to get into the swing of things.

"I tried to keep the speech light, asking people to be vociferous in their support of the team on the day because they (the team) won't let you down. I told a story about a journalist from an English newspaper that had conducted an interview with the Viadana coach rubbishing the facilities at Thomond Park.

"I cut out the article and read it aloud at the lunch. It basically stated that there were holes in the ground, the dressing-rooms, they were antiquated, there was only cold water in the showers after the first few minutes and it seemed that the roof might fall in on the exit to the pitch. He was going to warn Nigel (Melville, the Gloucester director of rugby) about this.

"The only problem was that Munster had played Viadana in Cork so God knows how he knew what the facilities at Thomond Park were like. It got a big laugh."

Brendan Foley and Moss Keane, partners in grime from the engine room of the 1978 side were present, Foley a proud father watching his son Anthony play his 50th European Cup match for the province. Greg Barrett, a centre on the celebrated Munster team, attended the match in a working capacity, co-commentator for Cork radio station 96 FM. Former team-mates Jimmy Bowen, try scorer from '78 and current Cork Constitution coach Christy Cantillon and full back Larry Moloney pursued an armchair view in front of the television.

Donal Canniffe, captain and scrumhalf, missed the game because of a family holiday to Italy. Pat Whelan, now a member of the IRFU executive, lent his vocal exhortations, as did Ginger McLoughlin repatriated from Wales for the occasion; Tony Ward, the hero of '78, fulfilling his media responsibilities.

In canvassing their pre-match expectations, it was pretty much sotto voce; Munster to win but Gloucester to advance to the quarter-finals. Barrett ventured: "Gloucester should have been too strong to consider a collapse of the proportions required. At times, it was difficult to believe what you were watching.

"Munster got tries at crucial times, early on, close to half-time, soon after the resumption and then it was Roy of the Rovers stuff at the end. There was a huge confusion in the ground as the programme indicated that Munster needed three tries and 20 points.

"You can't compare our day with the professional era but put in context I think last Saturday's was the bigger achievement. It was a cauldron, the best atmosphere that I have ever experienced and for the team to get the tries and points required when under huge pressure was a tremendous effort."

Cantillon and Bowen have been irrevocably linked since '78 when the latter made the break that led to the flanker's try. It was no surprise to learn that they had been on the phone to each other during the Gloucester match. Nor the good-natured banter in which they indulge.

Bowen confirms a story that his former team-mate likes to tell, dissolving in laughter. "Let me guess, it's the Mastermind one." Cantillon explains: "I bet you don't realise that Jimmy Bowen was on Mastermind. There he was in the chair and Magnus Magnusson asked the question. "Mr Bowen what did you do in the 1978 match between Munster and the All Blacks with the line at your mercy. Eh, 'pass'. Correct."

Bowen chuckles recalling another ribbing from Lansdowne's Joe Leddin. "He said it was typical that after making that break and with four Limerick men outside me I chose to pass back inside to the only Corkman."

Bowen's lonely television vigil, a cup of coffee for company, started sedately enough but he didn't suppress his emotions for long. "I was glued to the television, shouting at it.

"It was an amazing achievement and I'm sure it'll be immortalised in a new play, How we stuffed Gloucester. I hope we'll still get a mention for what we did in 1978," he laughed.

"My young fella was the mascot for Leinster in their recent game against Swansea and he told me in no uncertain terms that he was Dublin-born and Leinster through and through so we'll have to make some arrangements for the quarter-final weekend.

"I'll definitely go to Welford Road."

Cantillon, looking for a sign early on, alighted on Gloucester full back Henry Paul's unease under a succession of garryowens. "It's funny what you remember but I recall All Black full back Brian McKechnie dropping the ball early in our game."

Larry Moloney, full back for Munster that day, watched with growing incredulity Paul's misadventures. "He didn't want to know. All he had to do was catch it and kick to touch and allow his team to realign. He should have been taken off earlier than he was. His forwards must have dreaded every high ball that went up."

Tucker smiled and suggested that Paul probably felt like going around in the aftermath introducing himself as Paul Henry to get away from the flack. "There were several turning points, Mossie Lawler's try, Jake Boer's sin binning and the decision not to send back in the one man who was putting in thunderous tackles, the quick score after half-time and Ludovic Mercier's decision not to take that penalty kick at goal."

Gloucester's shortcomings in no way detracted from the Shannon man's enjoyment of the afternoon and long night that ensued. "I think I drank a vineyard that day and an orchard the following one."

Despite Munster's heroics last weekend, Cantillon is not about to defer to the nouveaus riches, striking a blow for the old aristocracy. "The further our match goes into history the more stories we can make up because there isn't much footage of the game. What Munster achieved last Saturday was superb and I think a common theme with the two teams from the province is that they were exactly that, team performances.

"People can look at Gloucester and point out that they arrived possibly with a negative outlook, trying not to lose rather than win the match.

"They can point to a leaderless team when the pressure came on but there has to be an acknowledgement of what was achieved by Munster on that afternoon."

Another commonly-held perception among those interviewed was that few people inside Thomond Park actually knew what was going on. Moloney asserted: "It was totally unbelievable, no one on BBC had a clue.

"I thought that the tannoy at Thomond Park could have been used to gee up the crowd with 10 minutes to go, providing them with the exact information about qualification. At my age you can't afford to get too excited."

Moss Keane would concur. "I try not to get too excited. If the moon started plummeting towards the earth, I might get a small bit excited at that stage. It's probably old age."

The old stagers may be planning a Welford Road reunion on the QT, several already having purchased their tickets for the quarter-final.

The legend of '78 lives on, it just that it has found a new bedfellow and it's now time to share the duvet.