Donal Lenihan: This was Munster's moment... but they failed to turn up

A change in the format next season, when the new PRO16 will incorporate the top four South African provincial teams. That’s why there was a feeling of “now or never” for this group of Munster players.

Munster's Tadhg Beirne dejected after the game. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Munster have endured a litany of disappointments on the domestic and European front over the last decade but this defeat, a third in the Guinness PRO14 final since 2015, will take a while to get over.

This was their moment but they failed to turn up. With success at Heineken Champions Cup level becoming ever more difficult to attain, Munster’s dominance over everyone else bar Leinster at domestic level suggested this final might just afford their best chance to end the silverware famine.