The disappointing defeat has raised questions over the future of the team, with several members of the squad - especially in the pack - coming towards the end of their playing careers at the highest level. For the fourth successive time Munster failed to score a try against tenacious opponents who were good value for their 16-6 victory.
Disappointingly, Munster lost the battle in the set-piece with Leinster assuming the upperhand in the scrums as well as forcing their opposition line-out to creak badly on occasion.
Afterwards a defiant Tony McGahan insisted that his squad - semi-finalists in both the Heineken Cup and Magners League this season - was not too far off the best sides in club rugby.
Tony McGahan said: “We have reached two semi-finals this season losing 18-7 and 16-6. I don’t think we are very far off the mark.
“But there are always going to be questions there about the age profile of the side. That is inevitable. That is always going to be there.
“I think it has been there for a few years. We kept rebounding back and keep competing for trophies at the top end of the season.
“I think there is no doubt there are players coming towards the end of their career,” he said.
“That is well-documented - 12 months and 24 months for the majority of them - so we need to keep moving on.
“We introduced a lot of players this year, up to 11 or 12. They have had a great opportunity to play rugby and next year it will be even more so,” McGahan said.
While Munster’s season ended with Saturday night’s defeat in Dublin several members of the squad are set to be involved in Ireland’s summer tour to Australia and new Zealand next month.
Irish coach Declan Kidney will announce a 32-man squad for the tour tomorrow.
Meanwhile three Munster players have been included in the ERC European Dream Team chosen as part of the celebrations to mark 15th season of European club rugby.
Out-half Ronan O’Gara, flanker David Wallace and number eight Anthony Foley have all been included in the Dream Team selection.
Ronan O’Gara and Wallace are two-time Heineken Cup medal winners while Anthony Foley skippered Munster to their first success in the competition in 2006. Munster’s long-serving number ten O’Gara, was named as the inaugural winner of the ERC European Player award.
O’Gara, who has scored a Heineken Cup record 1,138 points in 91 appearances, is the only double winner, becoming the first ever ERC European Player Award winner and a member of the Dream Team selection. Toulouse’s Guy Noves received the Best Coach award.
A disappointing weekend for Munster on the playing pitch continued last night when the province’s A side suffered a 23-14 reverse to the Cornish Pirates in the inaugural British and Irish Cup final in Camborne.
Afterwards Munster A team manager Mick Galwey said that while they were disappointed to lose the final the experience gained through the competition would stand to the squad.
Galwey said: “It was a big learning experience for our young guys - the average age was 22. We’ve had great success in the British and Irish Cup this season, but it was just a step too far.”
COLM KINSELLA
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