It was scrappy and craggy but ultimately it was enough to send the Leinster jersey back to the manufacturers for a little bit of alteration.
As Leinster get their fourth star, we've stitched together some of the media reaction from across the world to Leinster's latest, and arguably most impressive, triumph.
Let's start with Friend of Ireland, Stephen Jones in
It was one of those games which would have bewildered followers who adore the current trends, with the ball endlessly in play, with the odd crunch but not much in the way of confrontation; those who see great significance in ball-in-play time and other dross. There were no tries at the San Mames, and there never looked like being. But this was a thunderous classic of its type, the quality of the defending was just too good for the quality of the attacking, but it was so compelling that it squeezed the air out of your lungs and wrapped its hands around your throat.
This is some Leinster team, although they did not put away their opponents in quite the same clinical and sustained manner as did Saracens last season, and it is Saracens who will be most hungry to regain their title.
In the same paper, Shane Horgan hailed James Ryan's "near-perfect performance".
Inevitably, there was James Ryan producing what was close to a perfect performance. We are beginning to take his carry- and tackle-count for granted. What elevates his workrate above the tireless is the leg drive he applies which always gets him over the gainline or helps the ball-carrier make in-roads when he is acting as the ‘leach’. Two years ago Maro Itoje was confirming his class in a Champions Cup final. The Leinster lock is rapidly eclipsing the deeds of the Saracens man.
The Observer's Robert Kitson ends his match report by hinting at the beginning of another Leinster dynasty:
Whether it inspires millions of Spanish kids to rip down their Real Madrid and Barcelona posters and stick up pictures of Tagdh Furlong instead is doubtful but, as a gospel-spreading exercise, this weekend has been a definite success. Next year the finals weekend will be held in Newcastle, where some Leinster supporters have apparently already booked hotel rooms. It may well prove a very shrewd investment.
Elsewhere, L'Equipe's - famous for their harsh player ratings - give poor Teddy Thomas a 4, but are broadly sympathetic to him.
The New Zealand Herald, meanwhile, did deign to cover Northern Hemisphere rugby, albeit leading with the absence of Dan Carter, their headline reading "Isa Nacewa's heroics seal European crown for Leinster over Dan Carter-less Racing 92" atop a report that focused largely on Carter's medal haul up to now.
See Also: 'What Are You Doing?!' - Crazy Teddy Thomas Error Cost Racing Dearly
