They all agreed the 18th Heineken Cup final was one of the most physical and absorbing of all-time and the media were still shaking their heads in disbelief at how ASM Clermont Auvergne failed to win in Dublin.

Here is the verdict from some of the Sunday newspapers leading writers today:

Sunday Telegraph – Steve James
Toulon are the Heineken Cup winners for the first time. But, to be frank, to write that does not make sense. But then sometimes rugby is like that. It doesn’t make sense.

Clermont Auvergne were much the better side for huge tracts of this match, they were by far the sharper attacking force, yet still they lost. Why?

Sunday Times – Stephen Jones
This was magnificent, one of the epics of this tournament’s history, a match of supreme quality and a sensational atmosphere – it seemed that half of France had come to Dublin.

It was also the biggest travesty of the 18 Heineken Cup finals. I have never seen a team so superior as Clermont Auvergne were lose a rugby match. Their marvellous supporters appeared to outnumber Toulon’s by a ratio of 20:1 and it would have taken the hardest sporting heart not to break for them at the end. They and their team looked suitably stupefied.

Sunday Times – Stuart Barnes
Heineken Cup finals, like World Cup finals, do not always award their prizes to those who play the beautiful game. On this occasion, for all their aesthetics, Clermont can have no complaint and until they learn how to keep their nerve in the manner of the former Newcastle and England fly-half (Jonny Wilkinson) they will be destined to suffer even more agony.

Sunday Independent – Brendan Fanning
So just when you were thinking how Mourad Boudjellal would feel about the return on his massive investment in Toulon, instead we were writing another chapter in the history of Clermont's failures in cup finals. Different script, same theme.

How did they go from drilling their opponents with two tries in six minutes, early in the second half, to establish that 15-6 lead, to losing it? In the context of this game a nine-point lead was significant. It had been a hugely bruising first half, at the end of which Clermont had played all the rugby and had nothing to show for it – 62 per cent territory, nearly four times as many offloads, and with 50 tackles made compared to Toulon's 75, you could see where all the traffic had been going.

Mail on Sunday – Ian Stafford
Jonny Wilkinson lifted the Heineken Cup and claimed it was better than winning the World Cup with England.
Wilkinson led Toulon to a thrilling 16-15 win over Clermont Auvergne in Dublin with three penalties and the crucial conversion of a try scored by former England colleague Delon Armitage.

The ex-England fly-half, who had turned down a British and Irish Lions place to concentrate on Toulon’s dual attack on Europe and the French title, beamed: ‘Winning the Heineken Cup is right up there with winning the World Cup. In fact, it goes beyond because life should be in the now, not in the past. It’s such a good feeling.’

The Observer – Eddie Butler
On the day of reckoning, an all-French final, the side that had not lost a single game in the Heineken Cup did just that, failing against Jonny Wilkinson's Toulon. Clermont will be wondering how on earth they let slip a game they seized by the scruff after half-time.

For the first 15 minutes there was thunder on the ground, a man-made alternative to any storm in the skies. Rain that had been forecast but wisely kept its distance. The tacklers advanced furiously and the ball-carriers were swept back. The body has become the new object in the game that can be picked up and tossed around. During this period of Rollerball, the two little figures of Wilkinson and Mogan Parra remained sufficiently intact to land a penalty each.

Irish Times – John O’Sullivan
Did Clermont Auvergne freeze once again in sight of the winning post? That’s the accusation they’ll face as they contrived to lose a match they should have won.

They played the better rugby for most of the game but that’ll be of little consolation as the Heineken Cup will be returning to France with Toulon.

Clermont looked far more dangerous in possession and if they managed to introduce a little more composure and precision, especially in the Toulon 22, might have won this match in a canter.

The Independent on Sunday – Hugh Godwin
When Toulon’s wealthy owner Mourad Boudjellal began assembling a who’s who of rugby for his proud port-town club on the Côte d’Azur a few years ago it was not to ensure himself the finest autograph collection on the planet.

His squadron of thirtysomethings spearheaded by Jonny Wilkinson had the brilliant nous to make Clermont pay for over confidence in the second half of this first Heineken Cup final for both clubs and take a barely believable victory in Dublin.

The Independent – Adam Redmond
It came close to topping the drama of Sydney 10 years ago, and the margins were just as thin as Jonny Wilkinson held up his end of the bargain by winning a first Heineken Cup for both himself and Toulon.

Yesterday in Dublin his presence, which has helped install a culture of success at the French club, was punctuated by his ability to split the posts with his four kicks, delivering a perfect 100 per cent return.