The sun sets on Ireland's clash with the Barbarians at Kingsholm © Getty Images

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"With the Barbarians inevitably disjointed, it was the Irish who played most of the Baabaa style rugby." Huw Richards reports from Ireland's victory over the Barbarians.

While nothing will ever quite efface the ghastly playoff anticlimax against Leicester as Kingsholm's outstanding memory of May 2008, the season has at least ended on a note of good cheer at Gloucester's modernised but still highly atmospheric ground.

Following on from Sunday's superb European Challenge Cup final came the engaging oddity of Ireland v Barbarians.

The Gloucester crowd, encouraged by the presence of Lesley Vainikolo in the Baabaas backline, constituted themselves as the hosts of Barbaria, cheering every time the travelling team showed promise - and in particular in Big Les got anywhere near the action, which he did much more frequently than he did for England - and cheerfully booing when the Irish opted to kick rather than run penalties.

For those who like their rugby with shape and purpose there was by contrast some encouragement in stand-in skipper Shane Horgan's caution.

It showed that Ireland were taking it seriously. And while one should always be wary of interpreting indiscipline as evidence of commitment, the second half yellow card for Isaac Boss and the general warning issued to both skippers after a 69th minute forward kerfuffle were further pointers to Irish attitude.

Which is not to say that there were not moments of end-of-season whimsy.

One suspects that Sebastien Bruno is unlikely ever to get away with overstepping the touchline by a good metre by putting in to a line-out in an international - nor are we likely to see the pantomime of Malcolm O'Kelly lumbering to the touchline, sitting down, getting immediately recalled to the pitch and then being taken off after all, grinning hugely as he left, as the original call was reinstated.

Gloucester sadly did not get to see Big Les scoring, but showed loyalty to older values - a relish for the big ball-carrying forward - in its roars every time Ollie Le Roux charged forward.

There was warm appreciation too for the powerful Springbok Pedrie Wannenberg as he first scored a fine try at one end, then denied opposite number Jamie Heaslip with a crunching last-gasp tackle at the other.

This was, though, as one might have expected, Ireland's night. Even if lacking many leading players - this Irish team is shows s what they would look like if Munster ever seceded to set up by itself - and further shorn of star quality by Brian O'Driscoll's late withdrawal, a national squad should be able to beat a scratch team, and so it proved.

If O'Kelly, Horgan and second half replacement Girvan Dempsey represent one end of the experience scale, Ireland's team also included those at the other end of an international career, and could take considerable encouragement from this.

Centre Luke Fitzgerald darted to good purpose, kicked with length an accuracy - except for one slice - and tackled with crunching finality, achieving the ambition of many an All Black midfielder by landing Stephen Larkham on his backside.

Heaslip may have been denied by Wannenberg on one occasion, but ran astute support lines to cross twice while his back row partner Stephen Ferris, as yet uncapped, showed an impressive turn of speed in two fine breaks.

With the Barbarians inevitably disjointed, it was the Irish who played most of the Baabaa style rugby, particularly in a dashing opening that brought 24 points in 23 minutes.

From there the Baabaas began to get their bearings and close a few gaps, but Ireland will depart for the far greater challenges of New Zealand in good cheer and with their non-Munster men having had some valuable practice.

And if leaving the European final on Sunday provided aural pleasure as the cheers of Bath and Worcester fans gradually gave way to peals from the cathedral bells, this time there was a visual treat with a glorious red sunset behind the hospitality boxes at the west end of the ground.

It isn't quite the end of season Gloucester craved - and having to watch Leicester take the place they thought was theirs on Saturday will be torture - but many rugby years have ended much worse.