Biggest thing for me is just repaying the boys after letting them down in Edinburgh

It took less than three minutes for JJ Hanrahan to change the course of Munster’s season and the time went so quickly even the Kerryman had to stop and ask what had taken place.

Hanrahan made the perfect impact for his province, coming off the bench for the injured Keith Earls in the 78th minute with his side trailing 17-13 and leaving the field two minutes and 26 seconds later having delivered the most improbable of Heineken Cup victories. It took some attacking magic to score his first Heineken Cup try but it kept Munster on track for the quarter-finals.

“Sweet feet,” were the words his coach Rob Penney had used to describe the way the 21-year-old fly-half had rounded last defender Joffrey Michel to finish the match-winning score started by himself on halfway and crafted down a five-metre channel next to the right touchline by fellow substitutes Denis Hurley and Tommy O’Donnell.