Doug Howlett and Keith Earls both scored a brace for the visitors in a thrilling game where the lead repeatedly changed hands in one of the competitions greatest games.

In the glorious sunshine you may have thought the home side would look to pile the pressure on Munster early on, but it was the double Heineken Cup Champions who started the brighter.

The backline had space to play with and they used every inch as Brive struggled to cope with the pace of the Irish side in the opening ten minutes.

First, with just a minute on the clock Doug Howlett scored the games opening try. The former All-Black broke clear and raced forty metres downfield and linking up with Lifemini Mafi. Howlett then recieved the ball back from Mafi and touched down under the posts, giving Ronan O’Gara the simplest of conversions.

Just three minutes later the visitors were rewarded for their early expansive style as from a quick tap the ball found Keith Earls out wide and his pace took him through the first line of defence before he rounded the full-back to score in the corner.

Brive needed a passage with the ball in hand to control proceedings and their forwards obliged immediately, marching their side up-field and then winning a penalty which Mathieu Belie kicked to open Brive’s account.

The three points sparked life into the hosts and it was Munster’s turn to be on the back foot. Brive may have leaked two easy scores but going forward their backline looked sharp in attack.

Brive created room out wide for Retief Uys to touch down and that try was quickly followed by another as Fabrice Estebanez barged his way over after breaking endless tackles. Belie converted both scores and Brive took the lead for the first time.

There was no let up in the frantic action as Brive looked odds-on to score again after Gerhard Vosloo broke free, but he spilt the ball and Munster turned defence into attack in a matter of seconds and as soon as Howlett had the ball in his hands the try looked on and the wing raced in for his second.

It was the French side though that had the last word of the half as Belie kicked another penalty to take his side into the break 20 v 19 ahead.

Belie extended his side’s lead just after the interval but it was Munster through the combination of Howlett and Earls who got the next try.

Howlett ripped through the defence and gave Earls the easiest of run-ins to the corner. O’Gara converted and was lining up another effort four minutes later after Peter Stringer grabbed a loose ball to score, just moments after coming on.

Stringer’s try gave Munster the edge and three O’Gara penalties without reply looked to have taken them out of sight.

But just when Brive needed a score the impressive Palisson grabbed an interception try. Belie converted, reducing the deficit to 12.

The impressive Shaun Perry, a late replacement for Brive scored a try at the death to set up a grandstand finish but Munster held on and move through to the last four.