Munster blitz wins the day

Declan Kidney: Out of jail

Coventry is a city that's had fair share of blitzes. It was fitting that history repeated itself as a gallant Saracens side, who gave every single atom of their souls, succumbed to a massive Munster blitz defence.

Few big games live up to their billing, but this one had it all: sublime south hemisphere backs and two massive packs that truly were the irresistible force versus the immovable object.

Perhaps, in the final analysis, it was Munster's experience that edged it. They've been here before and they have much more than just the T-shirt - but it was their immense power defence, led by the remarkable Alan Quinlan and the sublime Paul O'Connell, that made sure of their date with Toulouse at Twickenham in a couple of weeks time.

The sky blue of Coventry became red for the day as 22,000 Munster fans lived every tackle, pass and scrum with their side. This Munster side is a close-knit unit - more a club than most clubs - and it's this sheer belief that pulled them through when others would have wilted under the sheer relentlessness of the retiring Richard Hill and his gallant cohorts.

Saracens beat the Ospreys by pounding the middle of the ruck and the maul and today they met their match as, as if to vindicate Newton's words, every thump and every thud was met with an opposite and at least equal force.

This was a game not won on skill, but on nous. The nous gained from winning and winning again at the highest level and the nous gained from having many reference points stored in the grey cells, for total recall when it matters.

Take Marcus Horan and Cobus Visagie. Despite the Afrikaaner's devastating scrummaging - Horan was splintered in the first two scrums - the diminutive Irishman worked out how to use Visagie's enormous power to his own advantage and pulled a penalty in Munster's favour.

This was a game that hung on a knife edge, as Declan Kidney mused: "We got out of jail today. I make no bones about that. People underestimated what Sarries did to Ospreys, that was no fluke. We scrimped, and clawed and crawled our way to still be in the competition.

"I have utmost respect for players of the like of Richard Hill who has been an absolute ambassador for the game.

"It came down to the roll of a dice and for once it was in our favour."

Alan Gaffney took nothing away from Munster.

"You know I was very emotional, I've never been like that before," he said.

"We didn't turn the screw when we could have in a game of small margins. We've been to four semis in two years so we must be doing something right and although we knew we had it in us there were too many penalties when it mattered."

Saracens skipper Neil de Kock added: "We kept shooting ourselves in the foot. It's now two seasons before we can do this again and although we've come a long way we have to find the same hard edge Munster have.

"Gaffney and Hill have made huge contributions to Sarries and I'd like to give them my thanks.

"I'd never worked with Hilly before but he is an outstanding character and I take my hat off to him - although you might just see him in the last home game against Bristol!"

So Toulouse it is for Munster. The two sides with the greatest number of games played in the competition - 93 to Munster, 94 to Toulouse - now fight it out in the Millennium Stadium for glory.

As Kidney says: "You know, we stuck in there today and class came through for a bunch of guys who have grown up playing together. It's my job to visit a few clubs and pick a couple of blokes to play for Munster. It's the system and the likes of Greg Oliver at Garryowen that makes it easy for me."

Hopefully, Kidney's family will come good again on the 24th in a final that possibly truly reflects the two best sides in Europe.

By James While