Toulouse’s homemade champions

THE original champions of Europe could have put their collective feet up yesterday knowing that neither contender in Dublin would come remotely close to matching their achievement in the first final.

Twelve clubs may have followed Toulouse to the summit but what Emile Ntamack and his confreres did getting on for 30 years ago at Cardiff Arms Park remains beyond the reach of every subsequent champion. They are still the only winner to pick a starting XV born and bred in their own country.

The all-French Toulouse responsible for delivering the first of their five titles during the inaugural season of 1995-96 stand alone. Six years later the old French emperors almost did it again, beating Perpignan at Lansdowne Road with 14 of their own and one from elsewhere, Trevor Brennan.

The redoubtable Irish lock, who began his working life as a milkman, showed his gratitutde by settling in Toulouse and founding something of a dynasty. Sons David and Joshua, both capped by France at under-age level, play for Brive and Toulouse respectively.

There has neither been an all-English winner, nor an allIrish one. Four champions, one English, three Irish, have come closest to emulating Toulouse. Ulster, the first Irish winners in 1999, Munster in 2006, Wasps the following year and Leinster five years ago started their finals with 13 home-produced players.

Ulster’s exceptions were back row forward Andy Ward, a New Zealander, and full-back Simon Mason, from Wigan. The South African duo Trevor Halstead and Shaun Payne helped Munster win the first of their two epic winning finals in Cardiff, against Biarritz.

At Twickenham 12 months later, France hooker Raphael Ibanez and Irish scrum-half Eoin Reddan reinforced Wasps’ 13-man English contingent in their decisive win over Leicester.

When Leinster won their fourth European title five years ago, their starting team contained two non-Irish in the versatile Fijian Isa Nacewa and the Wallaby, Scott Fardy.

2012 Leinster 12 Irish + Nacewa, Brad Thorn (NZ), Richardt Strauss (SA).

2011 Leinster 12 Irish + Nacewa, Strauss, Nathan Hines (Aus).

2010 Toulouse 12 French + Byron Kelleher (NZ), Patricio Albacete (Arg), Shaun Sowerby (SA).

2008 Munster 12 Irish + Doug Howlett, Rua Tipoki, Lifeimi Mafi (all NZ)

2002 Leicester 12 English + Geordan Murphy (I), Rod Kafer (Aus), Freddie Tuilagi (Sam)

2001 Leicester 12 English + Geordan Murphy, Pat Howard (Aus), Winston Stanley (Can)