POST-MORTEMS HAVE replaced parties as the end-of-season ritual in Munster in recent times and while some silverware could yet be garnered in the form of the spanking new RaboDirect PRO12 trophy, Tony McGahan said it would be little compensation for their Heineken Cup exit.

The Australian, who returns home in a few weeks to take up a position of coaching co-ordinator with his national side after four seasons in charge Munster and three prior to that as assistant, made no effort to hide the hurt and disappointment following Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final loss to Ulster at Thomond Park.

McGahan promised that Munster, of course, would regroup as professionals and give it everything in the defence of their league crown but he had no hesitation in responding when asked if this would be any consolation for Sunday’s 22-16 loss.

“No, honestly. It certainly won’t be a compensation for this year. We certainly targeted the Heineken Cup and we’re obviously extremely disappointed with the outcome on Sunday.

“The way the game unfolded on Sunday has been very disappointing for a number of reasons, but more so the opportunity that was there in the game 22-16 against a side who didn’t have one phase in your bottom 25-30 metres in the whole game, not one. That’s certainly difficult.”

McGahan said he sees a bright future for Munster despite Sunday’s loss, although he warned his successor that the benchmark for success was high.

“I think there is a really good team with experience that can guide, some young guys now with experience too not only in in the Rabo but in Heineken Cup. They have experience of finals now, they have the scarring of losing a big game which is always important and a really strong playing group. That’s where it is, so I think there is a strong foundation, a very professional staff with high work ethic and look at those it’s all about the people.

“Munster are judged on winning Heineken Cup trophies which is difficult because only one team can win it every year, so basically it’s failure to do otherwise. That’s a hard task to master but that’s where it’s at, that’s the standard that you need to be at, you need to be preparing and playing like you’re going to be champions.”

McGahan said the squad had one session in Cork on Wednesday and would get together again today and, that while these helped in dealing with “the scars”, they were hurting badly over the loss.

“The deeper you go into any competition, the more you invest emotionally, time wise and energy, it is always difficult. If we had got to the next step it would have been even more difficult, and if we got to a final it would have been even more difficult again.

“And it is not just the players, the playing group are deeply hurt, the management, it’s the branch, it’s the supporters, the families, the wives, the kids, they all put up with a lot to get to that point. It’s the whole mood of the whole place. When you have got expectation and to have the expectation taken away, the sense of hurt and loss and disappointment and frustration is even deeper,” said McGahan.

He added that they would now turn their attentions to the PRO12 and that they would give it their best shot even if it did not compensate for exiting the Heineken Cup.

“Three games left and we really have to win all of them given that Leinster are up there and Ospreys, on 58 points, have got Aironi, that’s probably two spots gone. Then we are there with Glasgow, Ulster and Scarlets. All of whom we meet so we can knock two of the others out basically.

“The game moves on, we need to train and we need to get on with it. That is the nature of being in two competitions and the soccer guys do it all the time. So we understand that part of it, we have been through it before. It is not easy but it is what we are here to do and what we are about and how we react is very important.

“What we do know is that if we look after our own end we’ll be in the semi-finals,” added McGahan.

Meanwhile, skipper Paul O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara are both expected to be fit having sat out training on Wednesday with knocks. Munster were yesterday still awaiting news of of a scan on Keith Earls’s leg injury.

MUNSTER (squad): D Hurley, F Jones, J Murphy, D Barnes, L O’Dea, S Zebo, L Mafi, I Dineen, K Earls, S Deasy, I Keatley, R O’Gara, D Williams, T O’Leary, C Murray, W du Preez, M Horan, S Archer, BJ Botha, M Sherry, D Varley, D Fogarty, J Ryan, B Holland, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell, D Ryan, M O’Driscoll, P O’Mahony, T O’Mahony, D Wallace.