It nestles comfortably within the Munster ethos, a relationship that could be distilled to master and apprentice. Ian Dowling's first season with Munster has yielded a European Cup medal. The 22-year-old has known nothing but success, and while not oblivious to previous heartache of losing a couple of finals, it's more folklore than first-hand.

Embraced by his new provincial siblings, the Kilkenny-born wing has blossomed in an environment in which he has been nurtured and encouraged. It was apt that the first acknowledgement as he mustered his thoughts on Saturday's triumphs was a tribute to John Kelly.

The latter has been an integral part of the Munster's European odyssey and other tales for the last decade, and it was the 32-year-old Corkman who has overseen the new arrival's development.

"I'm a bit awestruck at the minute," Dowling admitted. "Only last year I was winning an AIL with Shannon. Something like this is just unbelievable.

"Fellas like John Kelly have been a great inspiration for me throughout the season. He's brought me on so much. I'm just delighted that I have done right by him. It's something special. This was the Holy Grail for a while, so it's great that we got there. If you look at some of the games throughout the season, I think we earned this victory."

Despite his tender years, Dowling was unfazed by the occasion. "I wouldn't say I was nervous. I think there was a rather relaxed atmosphere. There's an honesty and belief in the team. When you ran onto the pitch, it was just like Thomond Park there today, ten-fold. It was special, a great atmosphere.

"All you hear and all you see are Munster supporters and it makes it easier for you going out there. For the last 10 minutes - we had spoken about it in the dressingroom beforehand about the fact that you didn't want to be the player to make the mistake - we stayed positive: we had been positive the whole way through."

Given Dowling's origins - he also played rugby league with Kilkenny Wildcats and the Ireland amateur and professional teams - he has made sharp progress.

Last year he won an All Ireland League medal with Shannon (he won a second recently), and played the first six games of this season with the Limerick team before muscling his way into the Munster set-up.

"I suppose it highlights the importance of the All Ireland Leagues and keeping them around. Without the AIL I wouldn't have been here today, I wouldn't have had the chance.

"I came from an alternative route to get here. That's why I think the All Ireland League is so important. Just last week we had Mossie Lawler, Trevor Hogan, Stephen Keogh (all playing for Shannon). The AIL is a good breeding ground. It's been a good week," he smiled.

Kelly had little difficult in articulating his primary emotion. "A few of us have been around a long time. The only thing I feel is relief, that it worked out in the end. I don't even feel overjoyed. I did the minute the final whistle went, but now it's just like blown away. The sheer tension, I just feel shattered.

"I'm looking forward to that feeling when you wake up and know that it's not a dream."

Having experienced the sporting trauma of losing two finals, he knows all about fine lines. "I don't think it was an outstanding performance. It was a final and there is a lot of tension in both sides. We were fortunate in the end. Biarritz are a quality side. They showed that they are a French team that travels. They went to Ravenhill and won well earlier this year. You have to be a good side to do that.

"I would give them a lot of credit for their performance. They never gave up, and it was very nerve-racking towards the end. We just kept on sticking at it. It wasn't perfect, but we kept on fighting. It fell for us. It could have fallen for us in 2000 but it didn't. Today it did."

It wasn't a surprise to notice the candour with which he spoke about Sireli Bobo's try. "I missed a tackle and I was disappointed with that. I apologised for that and said it wouldn't happen again. I'm glad that it didn't. From there on I was happy with my performance."

Kelly worked so hard to rehabilitate his damaged shoulder and get back for this match. "It's been tough. A few weeks back I was told I didn't have a chance. I'm relieved and delighted for everyone in the province of Munster."