Players and fans singing in the rain as Munster welcomed home

Munster captain Anthony Foley has paid tribute to the team's fans following their Heineken Cup victory in Cardiff yesterday.

Spirits were not dampened by the weather as thousands turned out to welcome rugby's new European champions home to Limerick this evening.

The squad was treated to a civic reception and champagne at the City Hall courtesy of the Lord Mayor.

The Munster players spoke of their relief and delight at finally lifting the cup, after they showed off their new silverware from an open-topped bus as they travelled through the city.

Meanwhile, France sport daily L’Equipe insisted there was no shame in Biarritz’s Heineken Cup final defeat to a Munster side “who won with the help of their whole country”.

The French press was unanimous in its praise of their rivals in red, who finally lifted European club rugby’s greatest prize at the third time of asking following Saturday’s 23-19 victory at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

But L’Equipe singled out their fans both inside the stadium and beyond as the inspiration behind their victory.

“The best team might have won but the losers, even if they could not do anything, should not be ashamed of anything,” L’Equipe said.

“Long after the victory, the Millennium stadium was still resounding with victorious chanting. Neither the Munster players nor their loyal supporters could leave the arena.

“The 15 Munster players were not alone by a long way. There were millions from all over the world as the match had been watched even in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Manilla.

“Most of all, there were 60,000 Munster fans in the stadium and 5,000 in the near streets, who had not been able to snatch up a last-minute ticket but had congregated in front of the stadium to take in the atmosphere.

“When their players were in trouble, their red army burst into their hymn, The Fields of Athenry. Munster were not on their own - they won with the help of their whole country.”

Le Parisien, on the other hand, gave all the credit to Munster’s battling players, who they hailed as unstoppable.

“Munster were just too strong,” the paper said. “Biarritz’s defeat was on the cards. Nothing nor no one could prevent the red devils from lifting the 2006 Heineken Cup. They did it perfectly thanks to a ferocious pugnacity and an admirable tenacity.”

Joining L’Equipe in appreciating the importance of Munster’s fanbase, Le Figaro was nevertheless more prosaic and analytical in its assessment, claiming Munster’s success against first-time finalists Biarritz was a simple matter of logic.

“The dream is over for Biarritz,” Le Figaro said. “The French club, who tried everything and pulled out all the stops, at the end of the match eventually lost the final at the hands of Munster, who were clearly fitter and more experienced than the Basques.

“This was the logical culmination for the Irish who had already failed twice in the competition’s final.

“In such a context, a victory from Biarritz would have been one of the greatest achievements in French rugby in the past 10 years.

“On Saturday the French team were tackling one of the most experienced teams, boosted by 50,000 supporters and a Millennium Stadium totally dedicated to the Celtic side.

“It was too much to cope with for Patrice Lagisquet’s men who, despite their dominance this season in the Top 14, showed their limits in their first ever European final.”