Among other things, Saturday's quarter-final victory marked a tactical coup for Alan Gaffney over his celebrated counterpart Nick Mallett. It also showed that tries can be scored, thrillingly, off set plays without recourse to multi-phase.

"We identified the fact that we could attack them out wide," confirmed Gaffney matter-of-factly and without a trace of smugness afterwards, and although he was disappointed with how his side let Stade back into the game, after a two-month hiatus he conceded: "Overall, we have to be very happy with what we did."

And the typically candid Mallett had the good grace to admit: "Those first two forays out wide took us by surprise, because they haven't been doing that much in their previous games. The start of the game was what did for us."

As the tannoy blasted out Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien by Edith Piaf after the full-time whistle, the thought occurred that the Munster Branch were yanking Stade's chain, but in fact Mallett and his team - supported in the stands by Serge Blanco and Fabien Galthie, among others - didn't have too many regrets save for that start.

"To score four tries here against Munster is something to be proud of," maintained the former Springbok coach. "It was a fantastic atmosphere. Our players loved it, loved feeding off that," he said, with Brian Liebenberg nodding in agreement.

"Intensity-wise, it's right up there, and they certainly generate a bit of noise," ventured Christian Cullen, the easy-going All Blacks and Super 12 record try-scorer.

"I haven't played as well as I would have liked due to niggly injuries, but today was another step in the right direction and I feel I'm going along the right lines."

Madame Piaf gave way to more traditional fare, such as Stand up and Fight, as the Red Army invaded the pitch, unfurling huge banners emblazoned with the Munster crest and Allez Les Rouges. But, for the first time in five successive semi-finals, they won't be going to France.

Looking ahead to the semi-final at Lansdowne Road on Sunday, April 25th (kick-off 3 pm), Gaffney said, with a touch of irony: "It'll be nice to play in our country of origin. It should be a special day at Lansdowne Road and we're all very much looking forward to it."

Lansdowne Road will never have seen anything quite like it.