It’s Munster’s strength that they have been a long playing record and champions of hard cases. Because of their longevity in doing it, the ethos has allowed younger players to come in and allow it, whatever ‘it’ is, seep into the pores.

Players like Cathal Sheridan don’t have to listen to old pot boiler stories from Paul O’Connell or Donncha O’Callaghan’s early pioneering days of getting down and dirty in Toulouse, Bourgoin or Castres. Munster’s challenge to anyone coming in has always been to be one of us, step up, buy in.

After a weekend where they again showed that you can walk away with a French scalp if you have a mind to do it, scrumhalf Sheridan speaks of the leaders having a talk in the dying minute and quiet, cold necessity bearing down. JJ Hanrahan’s step for the winning score, however, came from no off the shelf mould.

“After their try we all tried to gather ourselves,” says the 25-year-old. “It was a bit heart-wrenching to see them go in the corner but in fairness everyone – Pete, Paulie, Keith – were quite calm underneath. We talked about what was the next play, what we were going to do.

"It didn't exactly go to plan at the scrum but it just shows . . . the bounce of the ball, you have got to keep playing. And that's what we did.

Munster folklore
"As a young fella you grow up watching stuff like this. That word that's thrown about a lot, about Munster folklore. I think this is going to be another one of them. I hope it is."

Ordinarily it would have been Conor Murray at nine but with his knee injury Sheridan earned the golden upgrade. He played seven times last season in the league and his Heineken Cup debut arrived only in October against Gloucester. Perpignan signalled further confidence from coach Rob Penney.

“Yeah, it was huge,” says Sheridan about the selection. “I could try and act cool and say I will take it in my stride. But, no, it was a massive thing. I felt really good after last week, the lads were great.

“When you are playing at scrum-half if guys in front of you are doing their job and the guys behind you are doing their job then it is very easy for you to do your job. It is my first real involvement in it and you really got a sense for it. All you had to see was the fans waiting around after the game, the support that travelled.

"It was just absolutely incredible. I don't think you can put a price on that. They stayed. They clapped us off. It is just one of those great days that will be etched in your memory forever."

'Went a bit crazy'
Sheridan's dad Oliver charged up and down the sideline with the flag afterwards – "he went a bit crazy". Later he shared the plane home with the Munster team.

But like the forged ethos the fans are part of the deal. Munster know it. The fans know they know it. Sheridan knows it too but after one glorious day in Perpignan, he understands it much better.

“It is belief really, I suppose that is the underpinning thing,” he says. “No matter what situation you get into. I mean we battled back from being behind in the first-half to getting ahead, then to almost lose it. I don’t know if there was a person in the stadium who would have bet on us winning after they scored that try. But it is belief, knowing the trust.”