RUA TIPOKI and Lifeimi Mafi have formed an indelible bond, whether paired in a sentence or the Munster midfield. Team-mates smile in pointing out that in seeking out one the other is traditionally a matter of feet away.

It was therefore unusual to see Tipoki descend the stairs in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday evening without his sidekick in tow. The trial separation lasted the full two minutes. The pair have been an integral part of Munster's success this season, provided a physically abrasive cutting edge and hard nosed, aggressive defence in the middle of the Munster backline.

They have easily assimilated Munster rugby virtues, hugely popular inside and outside the squad.

For 32-year-old Maori centre Tipoki, the Heineken Cup final triumph represents the culmination of a remarkable first season with the Irish province.

He may have watched the DVD of Munster's 2006 triumph but nothing really prepared him for the sights and sounds when he ran onto the pitch and the subsequent thumping audio sound track to a second European success.

Tipoki grinned: "On top of the world. I can't put it into words. I have played in front of packed crowds in South Africa where they are all against you. It was a different atmosphere (here), pretty special. It takes your breath away."

Mafi (25), enjoying his second season in the European tournament, was no less effusive about the support. "It is pretty special. The fans made it feel like we were at home. Credit is due to them for turning up to support us in such large numbers. It makes them part of the team, part of us. That's Munster, I guess."

In trying to define Munster rugby Tipoki pointed directly to what he sees as the core values. "They're pretty much all home grown players and they are playing for their people. They don't take anything for granted.

"They recycle (retired) players within the system. You have players like Jim Williams and others around the fringes like Maccer (Paul McCarthy) - he used to play prop for years - who have that ethos and essence of what it is to be a Munster man."

Given that most backs spend a large amount of a match screaming at the pack to give them some ball, it is unusual that both centres wholeheartedly championed Munster's end game tactics of playing hide the ball amongst the forwards.

Tipoki endorsed the policy: "To see our forwards do what they do so well is comforting. We did (scream for the ball) but when they do what they did you have no complaints. It was awesome, a real team performance.

"No one really stood out and that's how it's been all year in this squad."