Another epic Munster victory, another display by Toulouse a world away from their true selves, and another Heineken Cup final to delight us all with the sense of occasion, although palpably not with the standard of rugby.

Munster won because their outstanding and gnarled forwards were able to treat Toulouse like schoolboys in the contact phases, because the likes of Paul O’Connell, Alan Quinlan and David Wallace were far too aggressive on the loose ball, far more up to date with what referee Mr Owens allowed (everything), and Toulouse simply did not have an answer.

The result was a succession of turnovers, a complete lack of flow to the Toulouse game, and Toulouse must now seriously consider whether recruiting a large group of talented forwards instead of a large group of real grafters is not the best way to avoid a difficult debacle of this sort.

Every time Toulouse sought momentum, O’Connell or another of the fighting Irish would insinuate themselves and steal away with it. This was a second European victory in two years, won not only in the hearts of the team, but also in the nous of the back five.

Munster’s morale was such that they could steady themselves when Toulouse came level in the third quarter. They barely existed as an attacking force, they are short of accomplished footballers and real penetration, and yet Toulouse were so lacking in sustained possession and territory that they were quite unable to turn the screw on what looked a shaky Munster defence.

It was a day on which there were satisfyingly few neutrals, but it was also a match which sat uneasily on the shoulders of the rest of the tournament and the rest of the European season. There was a drastic lack of continuity, and if you took away the great Yannick Jauzion in midfield and also the odd vivid flash from Cedric Heymans, individual class was fiendishly difficult to spot and for Toulouse, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde only ever looked what he was – a stopgap fly-half.

Not so the Irish contingent. The good thing about this day was not only that it made Munster champions of Europe again but that it gave them clear indications where they must now reinforce the team. However, as Toulouse would testify as the ball was stolen away from them yet again, there is no need to draft anyone as yet in the back two rows of the scrum.

It was a shame there were two travesties to mar the occasion. Why on earth the roof of the stadium needs to be shut on a glorious day for the playing of an outdoor sport I cannot fathom. It detracts from the atmopshere because it renders all the noise an unrecognisable cacophony. The other was the refereeing appointment. The IRB admit that in these days of endless preventative refereeing it is a massive disadvantage to have a referee who speaks the language of only one team. It was a disgrace that the official in such a big game could converse only with one team. Mr Owens simply screeched at Toulouse in loud English. The Munster record of never having lost a major match with Owens in charge was never in doubt. The position for Munster’s first try was set up by a classic case of the referee guessing. Jerry Flannery drove down the right but suffered a double discomfort as one of his own locks kicked him in the head at the bottom of the ruck and Munster lost control of the ball on the floor. The referee found a nonexistent Toulouse offence, however, and Munster set up a powerful attacking position with a kick to touch.

At first, despite waves of attack, Munster were repulsed and Denis Leamy appeared to have conceded the position when he drove for the line, only to lose the ball from the end of his fingertips as he dived for the line. However, at the next scrum after a safe Toulouse heel, Shaun Sowerby produced the most asinine piece of No 8 noncontrol of the decade. He picked up the ball, stood up and begged to be tackled and was overwhelmed. Munster forced the scrum and after a few more drives Leamy forced his way over under three Munster drivers.

Ronan O’Gara kicked the conversion, added a penalty awarded against Fabien Pelous in a ruck, and, approaching half-time, Munster led 10-3 and all of the control and shape of Toulouse had become a distant memory.

Early on, the Munster back three had played like terrified rabbits, Jauzion had found space behind the Munster midfield and Elissalde dropped a goal for a Toulouse team that won all the early physical exchanges. So all in all, after the shock of the Munster try, it was good news for shattered Toulouse nerves when Munster were penalised at the bottom of a ruck and Elissalde kicked the penalty on the stroke of half-time. It was 10-6 at the break, with a match of contrasting momentums clearly slap-bang in the balance.

However, the match lurched again, after 50 minutes, and again it was the officials heavily involved. There was a minor skirmish at a lineout initiated by Quinlan, after which Pelous merely extended his leg and prodded Quinlan with his toe. The referee was happy just to award a penalty, the touch judge persuaded him to send Pelous to the bin, which was a travesty. So was Quinlan hopping around appealing to the officials as if he had been shot. O’Gara kicked the penalty and it was 13-6.

Toulouse needed something. It came. Cedric Heymans had not been perfect but he took a quick throw to himself out on the left, chipped ahead coolly and regathered, and chipped ahead again as he was on the touchline. Jauzion followed up and tapped the ball on, and Yves Donguy reached it first to score a try from out of clear blue sky – if under a closed roof. Elissalde kicked the goal, it was 13-13, and Toulouse may have wished Pelous left the field more often.

Toulose looked likely to score soon afterwards, too, with a drive by the newly-arrived Yannick Nyanga and a sharp attack involving Maxime Medard and Jauzion, but again the French team could not finish and as the match drew on, Munster continued sneaking the ball away on contact, something which no doubt had grand old French flankers turning in their graves. Toulouse could sustain nothing except infringements. After 64 minutes, Pelous fell over a ruck offside and O’Gara kicked the penalty.

There was no sign of a revival as the match plodded on through the normal series of boring mini-rucks – the chief blight on the game through the current era but one which the IRB are too busy with their silly laws to deal with. Munster’s only error was to take the ball up a little further than the normal six inches, and twice they were penalised for being isolated. But at least the clock was running down safely for Munster, into the final minutes.

There was no way back for Toulouse. Their composure was gone, and it was somehow symbolic that when they broke away to try to get in range for an equalising kick they lost the ball with the usual profligacy. Munster’s fantastic supporters, knowing their rugby, were not exactly panicking at the prospect of their crown slipping.

Star man: Paul O’Connell (Munster)

Munster: D Hurley; D Howlett, L Mafi, R Tipoki, I Dowling; R O’Gara, T O’Leary; M Horan (T Buckley 64-74min), J Flannery, J Hayes, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell (capt; M O’Driscoll 58-61min), A Quinlan, D Leamy, D Wallace.

Toulouse: C Heymans; M Medard, M Kunavore, Y Jauzion, Y Donguy (M Ahotaeiloa 73min); J-B Elissalde, B Kelleher; D Human, W Servat, S Perugini (J-B Poux 56min), F Pelous (capt), P Albacete (R Millo-Chlusky 62min), J Bouilhou (G Lamboley 62min), S Sowerby, T Dusautoir (Y Nyanga 38min).

Yellow cards: Toulouse: Pelous (51min)