The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly reports from the end of an era as Toulon end Munster's Heineken Cup hopes at the pool stage.
"Well that's the end of that then. After 12 years of memorable, competition-defining Heineken Cup knock-out action -- a storied period when the tale was Munster elevated to the point of mythology -- the dream is over.
"No quarter-final place and plenty of questions to answer. The speculation that Munster were an ageing team and a fading force had been forcibly refuted by the camp all season and backed up by their confident progress to the summit of the Magners League and hammering of Toulon in Thomond Park last October.
"Now, the evidence is irrefutable. Yes, the group was extremely difficult but Munster have emerged from tough pools in the past, upsetting odds and confounding critics just as they did when de-frocking then French champions Perpignan in glorious style last season.
"There wasn't a glimmer of a repeat performance here. Toulon got their tactics and selection (Jonny Wilkinson at out-half) spot on, Munster got theirs badly wrong."
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