What a week for club rugby union - whether you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere!

Munster claimed the crown of Northern domestic glory by beating the most decorated Heineken Cup team Toulouse, in a mammoth game in which the Red Army showed class and polish to beat a valiant, but ultimately tired French team. 

Toulouse made all the early running, showing attacking brilliance to ensure that statistically they were the dominant team in the first half of the war.  But the Irish provincial side held firm with intensity and panache that indicated it was not a case of when, but how they came back into the game. 

'Surely even the fearsome beast that is the All Blacks will anxiously await their encounter with Munster in the end of year Grand Slam tour'


The French had only a drop goal from Jean-Baptiste Elissalde to show for their aggression and the second half saw Munster impose their pack – all but an Irish international engine room – on the previously unshakeable Toulouse scrum.

It was in the 50th minute that the game swung.  Fabien Pelous, showing ignorance unbecoming of such a decorated international, was sin-binned for an innocuous kick. Not worth a yellow, but an idiotic penalty at best. Referee Nigel Owens, showing again his inability to control at the top level, sent the Toulouse captain to rest on the recommendation of his touch judge Nigel Whitehouse. 

While Cedric Heymans produced some magic for Toulouse in the dying stages, the Munster men saw the trophy in their sights and nothing would deny them their second trophy in three years.

Surely even the fearsome beast that is the All Blacks will anxiously await their encounter with Munster in the end of year Grand Slam tour.

In the Southern Hemisphere, two weeks have seen no fewer than 12 teams effectively eliminated from the showpiece Super 14 domestic tournament, to leave the Crusaders on the threshold of an unprecedented seventh title in 13 years.

The Sharks’ elimination capped an overall disappointing collective campaign from the South African teams. The positions of third (Sharks) and fifth (Stormers) were reward for solid seasons – but South African teams occupied three of the bottom five units of the regular season ladder.  They all took a long time to adapt to the new ELVs, a scathing indication of the lack of positive rugby in the Republic’s teams.

The Waratahs have earned their second Super rugby finals berth on the back of an all-Wallaby pack and typical Ewen McKenzie pragmatic rugby. Australia overall provided a strong contribution to the 2008 season, with the Western Force and Brumbies being top-four contenders throughout the season before some disappointing losses saw them finish mid-table.  The Reds, who finished 12th, were much better value than their three wins indicated, with their home demolition of the defending champion Bulls showing the vast improvement in their season.

However, the statistical reality is that New Zealand again dominated the domestic Southern Hemisphere showpiece, showing no World Cup hangover with their teams finishing first, fourth, sixth, seventh and 11th.  While some would claim that positive rugby derailed their ill-fated World Cup tilt, the New Zealand teams averaged 39.6 tries throughout the season, three more than their African counterparts, and a staggering eight more tries than the Australian outfits. 

The Hurricanes, Blues and Chiefs all showed championship-winning form throughout the season, but consistency ultimately ruined their chances.  Wellington looked lazy and uncommitted against the Crusaders in their semi-final, and had the six-time champions in their 22 for over a quarter of the game.

Canterbury recovered from possibly their worst closing run towards finals rugby with a complete victory over the highly-rated Hurricanes team.  The territorial domination, over 80% in the first half, was combined with absolute complete rugby, and the Canes did well to absorb the wave of Crusaders camped on their line.  With the Crusaders led by All Black stars Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Leon Macdonald, it will take a minor miracle for the Waratahs to beat them at their home fortress and stop their crusade towards a seventh title.

It they do win, it will be a bitter-sweet victory for the powerhouse franchise of New Zealand rugby as the architect of their myriad coups, Robbie Deans, will no doubt weave his craft into his new team, the arch-enemy of All Black rugby - the green and gold of the Wallabies.  Meanwhile, with delicious irony, McKenzie has been rumoured to have been courted to take the reins of the Canterbury Goliaths.

Either way, as the domestic showpieces of the world come to a close, it set up another tantalising Southern international season, where the big SANZAR unions will again look for their usual impressive campaigns against the challenge of Northern Hemisphere invaders.