Thosands of fans thronged the Thomond Park terraces last Saturday as Munster faced Wasps in a do-or-die Heineken Cup encounter.

Almost 12,300 eager supporters, including nearly 2,000 from Wasps, travelled to Limerick for the game, with another electric atmosphere guaranteed.

Unfortunately for their fans the Wasps were dumped out of the Heineken Cup as Ronan O'Gara led Munster to a thumping victory in treacherous conditions at Thomond Park.

Munster topped the pool to reach the knockout stages for a unprecedented 10th successive season where they will face either Gloucester or Toulouse.

Torrential rain made the match a lottery for much of a finely-poised first half but Munster seized control after the interval to flatten the holders.

Ronan O'Gara spearheaded the 2006 Heineken Cup champions' assault with a flawless 14-point haul comprising of four penalties and a conversion.

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Munster Team

But the outcome - and Wasps' fate - was sealed by Denis Leamy's 76th minute try, inevitably created by the outstanding O'Gara.

Fifteen per cent of Saturday's tickets were snapped up by eager Wasps fans - the largest travelling support their club have mustered for a Heineken Cup pool game.

Saturday's game is likely to be the last to be played at a Thomond Park under redevelopment.

With building work at the old ground set for completion this autumn, the next time Munster take the field at Thomond Park they will probably have 26,400 fans behind them.