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All that remains is for Brian O'Driscoll and company to play leading roles in a Lions series victory in South Africa, and the partying can continue until next season.

Leinster's quest did not quite match the romance of their provincial rivals Munster, , but it still brought an elation borne of a decade of near misses and unfulfilled potential.

Any team that finishes above two-time winners Wasps in their group, wins away at the second-placed team in the English Premiership (Harlequins) in the quarter-finals, blows away the holders in the semis and then overcomes another two-time champion side playing a record-equalling fifth final, are certainly worthy champions.

But if this was another Irish triumph, it owed much to the input of two Australians.

Coach has fashioned a harder edge, greater pragmatism and consistency of performance since his arrival four years ago, a process that yielded the Magners League title last season.

But following it with a Heineken Cup also owed much to persuading the formidable flanker .

When no less a figure than O'Driscoll hailed Elsom as "the best player I have ever played with" after the game, it makes you sit up and take notice.

The 26-year-old may not be around to help defend the crown, so keen are the Australian Rugby Union to have a world-class operator back in a Wallaby jersey, but his has been a transformative presence, even if turns out to be for only one season.

"If he doesn't come back it will be a massive loss," Cheika conceded, "But we don't give in easily. He is a smart lad and he will always make the right decision."

Elsom certainly did on the field, whether it was making the hard yards through the heavy traffic, disrupting the Leicester line-out or manhandling any Tigers foolish enough to head down his channel.

Each intervention was greeted by chants of "Rocky! Rocky!" by the flag-waving Leinster masses, who had annexed two-thirds of Murrayfield.

Their appreciation also extended to , who ran Elsom close for the man-of-the-match award after building on the positive impression he made when replacing the cruelly stricken Felipe Contepomi in the semi-final.

The questions beforehand concerned whether the 23-year-old's physical and tactical abilities would bear scrutiny on such a big occasion. The only ones afterwards were about how long it might be before he succeeds Ronan O'Gara in the Ireland number 10 jersey.

For the opening half an hour, Sexton seemed to be running through the full O'Gara repertoire, giving a masterclass in controlling tempo and territory.

A succession of perfectly-weighted kicks were drilled into the corners, twisting and turning the helpless Alesana Tuilagi in particular.

He thumped over a sumptuous drop-goal from halfway, kicked a penalty to make it 9-3, and continually probed at the Tigers defence with ball in hand.

"He has shown real maturity," purred skipper Leo Cullen afterwards. "He puts a lot of work into his game and has had to bide his time a bit longer than he would have liked. But his level of commitment and will to win is second to none and he really bosses the team, which is what you want from your 10."

But just as Sexton's command performance appeared to have given Leinster control, prop Stan Wright's reckless late tackle on turned the game's dynamics on its head.

In the 10 minutes the Cook Islander was off the field either side of the interval, the Tigers plundered 13 points via two Dupuy penalties and Ben Woods' converted try.

With Leicester leading 16-9, you sensed the next score, even so early in the second half, was crucial.

And it was here that Elsom made perhaps his most vital contribution to wrest the initiative back the Dubliners' way.

Fielding a kick 30m inside his own half, with no support, the Aussie thundered round the fleet-footed Tom Croft on the outside and dummied his way past the onrushing Tuilagi on a bewitching run that restored belief in Leinster's wavering attack.

It immediately lifted their fans, and transformed the atmosphere. Two minutes later, they were celebrating a game-levelling try after O'Driscoll straightened the line and Jamie Heaslip barrelled over.

But it took another 20 minutes before the winning score came, as anxiety threatened to overwhelm both sides conscience of the implications of the slightest error.

Eventually Sexton was presented with the chance to win the game after replacement Tigers wing Matt Smith was penalised for playing the ball off his feet.

The fly-half held his nerve superbly, and it was fitting that after an increasingly frantic final 10 minutes, he should be the one to belt the ball joyously into touch at the end.

Sexton immediately received a bear hug from O'Driscoll as the celebrations began in earnest.

It was all a far cry from the tournament's inaugural year when Leinster, after winning pool games against Milan and Pontypridd, lost a semi-final to Cardiff at Lansdowne Road in front of just 7,350 fans.

Veteran lock Malcolm O'Kelly played in that game, and 13 years on, he was first up onto the trophy presentation platform to receive his medal.

Shane Horgan, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, an unused replacement on the day, and Cullen have also shared the hurt over the past decade, while O'Driscoll was quick to mention the contributions of now-retired former team-mates such as Denis Hickie, Victor Costello and Reggie Corrigan in this career-long quest.

A team that for so long threatened never to do full justice to their talents had finally - with a bit of help from a few Aussies, a Fijian and a Cook Islander, reached fulfilment.

As the strains of boomed round the stadium on Leinster's lap of honour, it was comforting to think that glory comes to those that wait.