AS with all disappointments, time is a great healer. Travelling home empty handed from the two Heineken Cup semi-finals 10 days ago, even the potential of a Magners league play-off meeting between Leinster and Munster appeared somewhat hollow.

SUCCESS breeds success. Last season Ireland finally delivered an overdue Grand Slam, the foundation of which can be traced back to the prosperity of the provinces in Europe.

IN the not-too-distant past, there was a time when a Heineken Cup fixture on French soil was approached with quivering trepidation.

FIGHTING on two fronts up to last weekend, unbeaten in Europe this season – the only one of the 44 sides that started out in either the Heineken Cup or Amlin Challenge Cup to achieve that feat.

THE BRIEF from the top at ERC was straightforward: “your mission, should you choose to accept, is to select the best European side of the last 15 years comprised of players who played in either the Heineken or Challenge Cup competitions”.

FOUR days on and the sense of excitement and anticipation that filled the masses at Thomond Park is every bit as palpable.

IF ONLY we could have rugby like this every weekend.

WHAT odds now on Leinster doing the seemingly impossible by becoming only the second side to successfully defend the Heineken Cup? On the evidence of this performance you wouldn’t put your house on it.

IF THE recent Six Nations defeat to Scotland has taught us anything, it’s that despite all the heroics and accumulation of trophies last season, Irish rugby has no divine right to silverware.

AT the final whistle, despite the hostilities of the previous 80 minutes, they shook hands and went their separate ways, safe in the knowledge they had helped each other in their quest to advance to the Heineken Cup semi-finals.