Isa Nacewa bows out with break in tradition and silver aloft

Isa Nacewa, finally, lifted a trophy by himself. The break in tradition temporarily infuriated the retired captain as he limped to the podium, motioning for Johnny Sexton and Rob Kearney to link the chain.

They refused to help him. They laughed at him until he, one handed, soared the silver above his head. They left it in his hands until he made Sexton carry the load.

"I feel a little like an irresponsible parent," said Leo Cullen. "The fact he was out there in the first place, but it was hard to deny him watching in the last couple of weeks when he stepped up to kick the penalties [after Sexton could not in Bilbao].

“To see him lift the trophy is the reward - nobody deserves it more.”

The Game That Was: Who went and got Johnny so angry?

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Leinster secure historic double to cap greatest ever season

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Saracens secure third Premiership title in four years against Exeter

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So, same ending for Nacewa as Brian O’Driscoll, except with a few extra medals and the league double that escaped the other three European title winning campaigns.

"I blew my calf quite early," said the 35 year old who may or may not disappear from view. "There is a standard here at Leinster that you have to live up to every day. You can't hide from that. I'm not making that now so it's time for me to bow out. The 21 year-old who has got passion for the game and if they know their limits: keep going, keep going until mentally and physically you need to stop.

“Talking to Brian O’Driscoll during the week we talked about how at some stage physically you can’t keep going, at times mentally you might get to a point where enough is enough.”

Then he said something interesting.

“The Leinster standard in the future, if they stay humble, they will be phenomenal to watch. I will be in the first row seat keeping an eye on them.”

(Technically, Leinster are in the market for an attack coach now Girvan Dempsey is joining Bath).

Why come back to Dublin in 2015, from retirement in New Zealand, from a new career as a mental skills coach with the Auckland Blues?

“I wanted to come back and win trophies. I came back at the same time as Johnny Sexton - from his little time away - it needed an evolution to get to where we are today, with 55 players used in this campaign.”

The 55 players part in all of this is very interesting to foreign clubs with salary caps and imposed limits on numbers in their squads.

Of course Wales, England and France have deeper player pools but not many are streamlined like Leinster.

Rivals beneath them now see an unfair advantage. The Racing 92 coach Laurent Travers branded Leinster the Irish team cloaked in blue when Cullen attempted to bill the European final as a hard working province against a Real Estate magnate’s millions.

"We don't have the budget," said Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac. "We don't have the numbers, the calibre of players at the moment. We will try to get to that.

“They have a very good system and a very good budget,” Pivac repeated.

“They are a very good team with a lot of local players. We have to do that, we have to try and match what Leinster are doing - they are the double champions. We have to try and compete with them on all fronts - that means developing young players and in the market place as well.”

Strip it all back, what’s the secret?

According to Rob Kearney it is a lack of perfection previously and “massive, massive bottle.”