Prendergast hopes Munster players can park delight or disappointment of Lions announcement

Prendergast said he hoped players would be able to park their news, good or bad, quickly and move on to the task at hand.

Tadhg Beirne during the United Rugby Championship match between Cardiff and Munster. Pic: Chris Fairweather/Sportsfile

Whatever fate befalls Ireland’s Lions hopefuls in London on Thursday afternoon, it will be provincial coaches on hand to dish out the congratulations, and pick up the pieces.

With the 2025 touring party and its captain to take on Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies over three Tests on a 10-game British & Irish Lions tour to Australia this summer set to be unveiled at the O2 Arena, having national team coach Andy Farrell in position as the man to decide those fates alongside a phalanx of his IRFU assistants will give Ireland players more confidence than in previous years that recent Champions Cup failures will be forgiven.