Exactly six years to the day since winning the league with the Scarlets, Tadhg Beirne had the trophy back in his hands.
The trophy itself may have changed since 2017, and what was then the Pro12 has expanded to South Africa and become the BKT United Rugby Championship, but the winning feeling was still the same.
Just like Munster, the Scarlets timed their run to perfection that season, losing their first three games before momentum started to build, eventually pulling off a series of unlikely away wins to become champions.
"Much like Scarlets, we had massive momentum and that feeling where you just don't think you’re going to lose," Beirne said after Saturday's 19-14 win against the Stormers in the URC Grand Final.
"That was within this group much like when I was with the Scarlets, and it’s incredible to be part of that. It’s an incredible feeling to have going into a game.
"It’s not a cocky feeling, but it’s just a confidence feeling because you know the whole team, when they’re on it, they mean business and it’s exactly like this Munster squad. When we’re on it, we can beat any team. I think everyone felt that way and we’ve proved that over the last couple of weeks."
Having been a dagger in Munster's side in 2017, the Ireland international joined the province one year later, and it's taken five years for him to help end Munster's own 12-year wait to get their hands on silverware.
Even in those five years the Kildare man has endured heartbreaking defeats with the province; a defeat to his native Leinster in the 2021 final as well as multiple semi-final exits in both the URC and Champions Cup.
"I'm with this club for five years now and I didn’t think it would be this difficult to get to where we are today.
"We’ve had opportunities and unfortunately we have come up short over the last few years, but to have won something with this club finally, it’s hard to put into words what it means to me. To be able to be part of that, I’m just absolutely delighted," he added.
The irony of Munster's title is that they've won it in the one year they weren't marked down as contenders.
The overhaul of their coaching ticket lowered expectations slightly this season. In year one of the Graham Rowntree project, which has seen major changes to their style of play, Champions Cup qualification and a semi-final appearance probably would have been deemed acceptable.
After losing five of their first seven games to start the season, and shipping 130 points in a three game spell in March and April, their season looked on the brink of collapse at times, which only serves to make this winning run all the more remarkable.
"We never, at any point did we lose belief in the squad," Beirne added.
"I think we definitely made it hard for ourselves at the start of the season, but from the get-go, the management instilled a massive amount of belief in us and asked us to stick with it and trust the system them were implementing. Everyone bought into it.
"At no point did we not believe. We definitely made it hard for ourselves in terms of where we finished in the league and having a lot of away games, but it probably makes it more sweet.
"It's a credit to the group, a credit to the coaching staff and a credit to all the staff in Munster and the squad we've brought it back home to.
"We spoke about being brave and not being afraid to throw a pass. You throw passes in training and then you come to a game and you go into your shell a little bit.
"We spoke a lot about that and the young lads have been doing it in training, so why not go out there and do it in the game? And they have been doing it for the last couple of months.
"They have been absolutely incredible for this club. Wig [Rowntree] has put massive trust into young lads and they haven't disappointed."
The Ireland international saved the final word for the Munster supporters who made the journey to South Africa, with up to 3,000 fans believed to have been at the Cape Town Stadium to see the province win a first title since 2011.
"It's incredible, and it’s not really about us really, It’s about the fans, it’s about everyone at home and families," Beirne added.
"We’ll enjoy it for sure but those fans have waited a long, long time. We spoke about how we’ve lost a lot of people as well within Munster, and it’s for those people as well and their families.
"It’s a special, special day for everyone, for everyone who travelled out here, which is a massive, massive amount of people, and everyone back home who’s watching from their couches and from wherever they’re watching it. This one is certainly for them.
"I would also give a massive shout out to our families as well who supported us through all the disappointments, and the highs and the lows over the last couple of years, and for some lads like Earlsy and Pete [O'Mahony] and Mur [Murray] and whoever, it’s been longer than just my five years that I’ve been with this club. It’s been a lot longer than that.
"So, to everyone’s families, it’s also for them, and no doubt they’re absolutely delighted for us back home."
