End of an era? McGahan’s Munster farewell ends in humiliating defeat

Ospreys 45-10 Munster

Munster could have chosen a better way to bid farewell to Tony McGahan than delivering an abject performance in the Rabo12 semi-final defeat to the Ospreys last night.

The prospect of winning some silverware for McGahan and others such as Mick O’Driscoll, Tomas O’Leary and Lifeimi Mafi, who are also on their way out of the province, was well and truly dispelled as the Welsh side cruised to a 35-point success at the Liberty Stadium.

With the score tied at 10-10 early in the first half, the Munster support could have had no idea what was in store, but a flaky visitors’ defence conceded five tries in total and Ospreys out-half Dan Biggar helped himself to 25 points.

It was a very un-Munster like performance and a sad way for McGahan to end his association with the province, but although it was unfortunate, it won’t taint what has been a largely successful four years in charge for the Australian native.

With Mafi and O’Leary on their way and Mick O’Driscoll the latest in a long line of players to hang up their boots, Munster would certainly seem to be in a transitional phase at the moment and had he been watching last night, new coach Rob Penney will be aware of the sizeable task that awaits him when arrives on these shores in the summer.

Munster's defeat also ruled out the prospect of an all-Irish final in a fortnight's time, but seeing as we've got one of those in Twickenham next weekend, another one really would have been spoiling us.