Kiwi trio at home amongst Red legends

THEY COME from a land of the long white cloud, but they’ve gone native. Rua Tipoki, Dougie Howlett, Lifeimi Mafi, three names you wouldn’t normally associate with Munster; after Saturday’s heroics at the Millennium Stadium, now and forever, are names that will resonate forever.

As they have been so many times this season, the centre pairing of Mafi and Tipoki were once again outstanding in both defence and attack, time and again stopped a Toulouse attack dead in its tracks with bone-crushing hits, gained precious yards with amazing footwork in the tightest situations.

Howlett also underlined himself a winger of the very highest calibre, voracious appetite for work on both sides of the ball. If only that try had stood, if only that final pass hadn’t been just those few inches forward, what a timeless talking-point world rugby would have had.