The fire and brimstone had evaporated into a warm Dublin evening and what remained was for the victors and vanquished to sift through the embers of yesterday's European Cup semi-final at Lansdowne Road.

Leinster and Munster share a common bond that had been suspended for the 80-plus minutes on the pitch. Both camps were gracious, accepting their lot with equanimity.

None epitomised this more than Munster colossus and man-of-the-match Paul O'Connell. As the bouquets fell beneath his feet, the Young Munster man didn't look down. Instead he traced out an empathy with Leinster and their fans.

He first cited Munster's victory in Bordeaux as the catalyst for the team and those that followed them and pointed out that Leinster's victory in Toulouse could represent a similar staging post. Speaking about yesterday's occasion he admitted: "It's only good for rugby. It was like an All Ireland final. For rugby to be like that in Ireland is brilliant.

"It's brilliant for us. You have to just put it down as another game. It's bragging rights but I don't think you saw any of us jumping around the field at the end of the game. We know we are going to have to play them next year when they're sore. (It's) like they were in the RDS, gracious. There is a very good, healthy respect between the teams and that showed today.

"They might have lost the first drop off and that gave us momentum. These little details can make or break games. You need that little bit of luck to get you going. Today we had it."

He eschewed any notion that romance and past history would predestine Munster's coronation in Cardiff next month.

" It's no one's destiny, it's the best team on the day in the final. That's it. If you lose it you come back again next year. If you win it you come back the following year in the final and try and win it. There's no destiny in this. It's all about on the day in the final producing the goods and a little bit of luck, maybe."

Munster captain Anthony Foley also played down the disparity on the scoreboard. "It was a tough game. Both sides gave it everything I thought they could. We got scores at vital stages during the game. At 16-3 any score either side could have made it a lot closer.

"We had a solid setpiece. People talk about our backline but that's our backline out there today. They'll still have a go off you from anywhere and that is the type of rugby we like playing.

" The scoreline at the end didn't reflect how tight the game was and I think when we put them under so much pressure and they were chasing the game they coughed up one or two balls at the end. Well they coughed up one ball for Trevor's try."

Former Leinster coach Declan Kidney was arguably better placed than most to understand their disappointment. "It was a strange kind of game. The respect that there is for one another is all but tangible. There were a few moments in the game that went our way. I don't know where the scoreline came from. Games like this don't come up too often thanks be to God."

For Leinster coach Michael Cheika it was a difficult afternoon but he didn't resort to any excuses. "I feel pretty sick for the fellas. They played with a lot of guts and conviction and it didn't go our way at all. We couldn't get any rhythm, really because of the opposition. They smothered us out of the game, took ball away from us.

"It's funny. The team that may have been doubted for its courage but known for its skills hung in the game due to its courage but without its skills on the day. I'm very proud of them in that way because they really withstood the onslaught in the second half when Munster had us down on our line. They would have put any other team away.

"We hung in there and that gave us an opportunity to stay in the game. We probably didn't deserve it but we were in there. We needed a score. We couldn't get the pendulum to swing back far enough to give us the points. We didn't get a try. Our game is scoring tries and winning games.

"You can't win them if you don't score them hence the result."