Quinlan 'proud' of second title

Alan Quinlan admitted he was proud to be part of the Munster side that won the Heineken Cup for the second time in the club's history.

The Irish side won the trophy for the first time in 2006 and lifted the trophy again with a 16-13 victory over Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium.

And the 33-year-old back row thanked the wealth of support he received from family, backroom staff and supporters which inspired the players to victory.

'I feel really proud to have won this and we owe a huge amount to the support we have had,' Quinlan told Sky Sports 1.

'It's amazing to win it again. The supporters here gave us a massive lift. There are a lot of sore bodies but it was worth it.

'Toulouse had us on the rack in the first 15 minutes. We have a massive squad who have all contributed and those lucky enough to be involved and the backroom staff have put in a lot of work in.

'It's a great achievement to represent Ireland and do it in front of these supporters is unbelievable and I'm lucky to be part of this achievement.

Munster captain Paul O'Connell added: 'I think it is more satisfying than last time.

'We have an incredible bunch of people and you feel a pressure when you wear the jersey which is so special to all of us.

'It was tough campaign and it is just incredible. We have shown bottle and courage and great mental strength today.'

Kidney hails special Munster victory

Declan Kidney hailed a 'special' victory for Munster after they brought down the curtain on his reign with a 16-13 Millennium Stadium victory over Toulouse.

A second European title in three seasons was secured by number eight Denis Leamy's first-half try and 11 points from the boot of prolific fly-half Ronan O'Gara.

Kidney will take over as Ireland coach later this summer, replacing Eddie O'Sullivan.

And he said: 'It was an emotional dressing room - it was a special place to be.

'To win this trophy once is special, but twice is a dream, it is something else. We have to enjoy it.

'You have good days and some tough days, but not many teams finish on top against Toulouse.'

O'Gara added: 'We felt in control. We shut them down, and it was about keeping as much control as possible. The forwards were immense.

'It is a great day for me and Munster - it is overwhelming.'

Toulouse captain Fabien Pelous' second-half sin binning was a critical factor behind his team not being able to challenge for a fourth Heineken Cup crown.

He said: 'I did lose my head a little bit. It is a shame I reacted like that.

'We made some good play, but our finishing wasn't great. We were in it until the end, but it was Munster's ability for ball retention that proved crucial.'

Toulouse coach Guy Noves said: 'We put them under a lot of pressure for the first 25 minutes or so. We were there in terms of physicality.

'We know Munster are a team of great quality, but I felt a turning point was the yellow card card for Fabien Pelous.'