According to you who was the best European player of the season?
Imanol Harinordoquy (43%)
William Servat (21%)
Other (12%)
Ronan O'Gara(8%)
Brian O'Driscoll (8%)
Vincent Clerc (5%)
Damien Traille (3%)
Munster recorded one of the finest away victories in Heineken Cup history with a thrilling bonus-point win at Perpignan.
The French champions had won 16 successive European ties at the Stade Aime Giral, having not been beaten in the south of France since London Wasps tasted success in 2004.
But the Irish province took full control of Pool One with an excellent display and Tony McGahan's men were rewarded with maximum points thanks to tries from Denis Fogarty, Denis Hurley, Jean de Villiers and Doug Howlett.
Perpignan began brightly and took the lead in the fifth minute after Fogarty was adjudged by English official Dave Pearson to be offside.
Scrum-half David Mele stepped up in clear blues skies to slot home the penalty with consummate ease.
The hosts continued to pile the early pressure on the two-time European champions with fly-half Gavin Hume bombarding Munster full-back Paul Warwick under the high ball.
Then Hume turned creator as his deft chip found space and centre Maxime Mermoz booted ahead but Keith Earls came to the visitors' rescue.
Ronan O'Gara missed the opportunity to level the scores with a drop goal on 12 minutes but O'Gara made no mistake after Pearson had awarded a penalty for an earlier offence.
But Perpignan came again and neat work from Romanian hooker Marius Tincu found Mele in a gaping hole but British Lions flanker David Wallace produced an excellent recovery tackle to stem the tide.
Munster skipper Paul O'Connell had been influential in the early exchanges and the Lions captain was held short but he was ably supported by Wallace and Warwick who battered away at the line before finally Fogarty scrambled over for a converted try.
Mele missed a routine penalty on 28 minutes but made amends a minute later and then added his third penalty in the 34th minute when Wallace caught Mermoz with a high tackle to reduce the deficit to just one point at the interval.
Tomas O'Leary put Munster on the front foot after the re-start when he darted through the home side's defence, forcing the hosts to concede a penalty in front which O'Gara fired home.
Then Perpignan saw prop Jerome Schuster yellow carded for headbutting Denis Leamy in the 46 minute and O'Gara took full advantage with an ice-cool penalty for a 16-9 lead.
O'Gara was also sent to the sin-bin for a late tackle but Munster continued their momentum as the pressure grew.
Hume saw his kick charged down by scrum-half O'Leary before Munster's old guard up front took the game away from Perpignan.
The outstanding O'Connell and Wallace handed excellent field position and then Warwick fed Hurley who beat Christophe Manas and Mele to touch down in the left corner.
Warwick hammered home a fine conversion from the far touchline and although Guilhem Guirado scored an opportunist try on 66 minutes, replacement de Villiers and then Howlett sealed an emphatic victory for Munster.
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Perpignan
V
Munster
P
D
C
T
Pos
Player
Player
Pos
T
C
D
P
Philip Burger
15
Paul Warwick
1
Farid Sid
14
Doug Howlett
1
David Marty
13
Keith Earls
Maxime Mermoz
12
Lifeimi Mafi
Christophe Manas
11
Denis Hurley
1
Gavin Hume
10
Ronan O'Gara
3
3
3
David Mele
9
Tomas O'Leary
Jérôme Schuster
1
Wian du Preez
Marius Tincu
2
Denis Fogarty
1
Nicolas Mas (capt)
3
John Hayes
Olivier Olibeau
4
Donncha O'Callaghan
Robins Tchale Watchou
5
Paul O'Connell (capt)
Yoann Vivalda
6
Alan Quinlan
Bertrand Guiry
7
David Wallace
Ovidiu Tonita
8
Denis Leamy
Replacements
1
Guilhem Guirado
16
Damien Varley
Perry Freshwater
17
Darragh Hurley
Kisi Pulu
18
Tony Buckley
Rimas Alvarez Kairelis
19
Mick O'Driscoll
Nicolas Durand
20
Donnacha Ryan
Jean-Philippe Grandclaude
21
Niall Ronan
Jérôme Porical
22
Peter Stringer
Yannick Parent
23
Jean de Villiers
1
Penalty Tries
First half timeline
4
Perpignan
Penalty kick - D Mele
13
Munster
Penalty kick - R O'Gara
22
Munster
Try - D Fogarty
23
Munster
Conversion - R O'Gara
30
Perpignan
Penalty kick - D Mele
34
Perpignan
Penalty kick - D Mele
Second half timeline
44
Munster
Penalty kick - R O'Gara
47
Perpignan
Yellow card - J Schuster
48
Munster
Penalty kick - R O'Gara
52
Munster
Yellow card - R O'Gara
57
Munster
Try - D Hurley
58
Munster
Conversion - P Warwick
59
Munster
Substitution - D Varley on for W du Preez
59
Munster
Substitution - D Ryan on for A Quinlan
59
Perpignan
Substitution - G Guirado on for M Tincu
59
Perpignan
Substitution - Y Parent on for O Tonita
59
Perpignan
Substitution - J Porical on for C Manas
61
Munster
Substitution - J de Villiers on for L Mafi
66
Perpignan
Try - G Guirado
66
Munster
Substitution - T Buckley on for J Hayes
66
Perpignan
Substitution - N Durand on for D Mele
68
Munster
Try - J de Villiers
69
Munster
Conversion - R O'Gara
70
Perpignan
Substitution - J Grandclaude on for D Marty
70
Perpignan
Substitution - R Alvarez Kairelis on for Y Vivalda
