Lack of tactical acumen costs Clermont dear

It is difficult not to feel a huge degree of sympathy for Clermont Auvergne after what proved a disappointing Heineken Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

The problem here was that only one team turned up to play and in the end, Clermont were found guilty of playing too much rugby. As a consequence, they remain the best side never to win this European title.

It was hard to escape the feeling at the final whistle that the better team had lost. Munster showed in the semi-final that despite being the inferior side for long periods in Montpellier, they still came within a whisker of reaching the final. Toulon, with their vast resources, are a superior force to Munster and they prevailed in a contest where, despite a lack of ambition, they had the necessary power and muscle to keep in touch.