The Exiles dominated Saints from the word go, scoring five tries to one to claim the first piece of silverware in the club's history.

"It was over by the break," O'Shea said, referring to Irish's 24-0 half-time lead.

"But I think we won the game in the five minutes before that when we were under some pressure but we held out.

"This is unbelievable. It's a dream. It's a great day and all credit to the players - they deserve it. But if it's a flash in the pan it's worth nothing."

"We tried to stay relaxed and treat it like just another game," he said. "And it obviously worked.

"It doesn't get much better than this. We played superbly today. Everyone put their heart into it and it clicked."

Irish's veteran number eight Chris Sheasby admitted it was the most important day in the club's history.

"The Irish are great people to be around and they've waited a long time for success," he said.

"They've now had their fair share on the international scene and now we've got it over here.

Unbelievable

"It's unbelievable. We've had a great season - and this makes it extra special.

"We've now arrived at the top. No-one can regard us as a 'two-bit' team any longer."

Sheasby also paid tribute to player-coach Venter.

"Brendan's done an amazing job and I just can't tell you how much of a difference he's made since he arrived," he said.

"Both the younger and older players have pulled together and the feeling within the squad is superb."

"It's clear we weren't up to it on the day," he said.

"We played against a team that had a depth of spirit that we couldn't match.

"We were embarrassed in front of our supporters and that's something we'll have to look at.

"Irish were superb and played with an extraordinary passion.

"Now we've got to make sure that it doesn't affect the rest of our season."