Munster just outshone Perpignan this evening to set up a historic all-Ireland European Rugby Cup semi-final showdown with a rampaging Leinster.
It wasn't pretty, and it looked far from certain at times, but Declan Kidney's charges will be more than happy with the 19-10 scoreline, which guarantees an Irish side for the May 20th decider at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium.
Perhaps inspired by Leinster's stunning 35-41 embarrassing of French giants Toulouse earlier in the day, bookies' underdogs Perpignan started strongly, signalling to Landsdowne red sea that they would not have it all their own way.
It was Munster who crossed the white first, however, as Paul O'Connell lunged over the line to put five on the board on 21 minutes. Ronan O'Gara then stepped up for his first conversion of the day.
But the French answered quickly. Munster lost the ball from a scrum and Mathieu Bourret broke forward to score a try, which he then converted. Bourret, one of four changes to the Perpignan side before kick-off, then landed his one and only penalty, on 36 minutes, to hand the visitors a 10-7 buffer for the second half.
He went from hero to villain in the second half, however, as he missed two very kickable penalties, while full-back Julien Laharrague skewed three off-the-cuff drop-goal efforts wide. Philippe Boher's outfit were also hampered by two untimely sin binnings as Perpignan's lack of discipline got the better of them.
Munster took their time to gel but when they did, it was the ever-ready O'Connell who lurched over in the left corner for the game's first score.
After prop Nicolas Mas had been sin-binned for persistent offside, O'Connell powered through the tackle of Christophe Manas for a 21st-minute try. O'Connell started and finished the move as he won lineout possession and, after three recycles, made for the line. O'Gara scotched rumours of his lack of match fitness as he launched over a superb conversion from the touchline.
But, seven minutes later, Perpignan were back level. Munster's Trevor Halstead was turned over in midfield and John Kelly was sucked in in defence as Bourret gassed over in the left corner to touch down and convert.
Bourret's penalty split the sides at the break. Referee Nigel Whitehouse also had to split up a touchline scuffle, with man-of-the-match O'Connell in the thick of it, that broke out on the cusp of half-time.
Neither side could raise their game in the second half as the intensity of the occasion became an obvious factor. Within six minutes of the restart, O'Gara had put Munster in front with a quick penalty brace.
Perpignan's hopes of repeating their semi-final defeat of Leinster at Lansdowne Road three seasons ago slid away in the closing half-hour as scrum half Nicolas Durand was yellow carded for an off-the-ball incident.
With a try out of their reach, Bourret tried to keep his side in it with penalty chances on 62 and 77 minutes, but failed both times. O'Gara showed him how it was done to bring an off-colour Munster to life
