Munster and Ireland legend Keith Wood joined Off The Ball on Tuesday to discuss Munster's loss to Ulster.
Munster lost to Leinster's second/third-string players two weeks ago. It was an astonishing result. A game that had to be seen to be believed.
But that loss could be attributed to the disappointment of losing two weeks prior. You would have imagined that the Munster players and coaching staff would show some fight after that loss. Their pride would be hurt, their collective ego wounded. And yet, against Ulster on Friday night, it was another limp display.
One would be forgiven for thinking Munster simply quit on the season after the Toulouse loss.
Former Munster hooker Keith Wood stopped short of making that accusation, but he was dismayed by the way in which Munster's season ended. Wood explained to Will O'Callaghan on Tuesday evening.
"For the last two matches, Munster have just been so far off the mark," Wood said.
"The attitude hasn't seemed to be right. They have inaccuracies all over the field. And incredibly poor...I don't know whether it's down to leadership, but they just didn't perform at all. And that's the bit that's disheartening for fans. It isn't about the times past, it isn't about the team's past, it isn't about what happened 10, 12 or 15 years ago.
"It's about what happened three weeks ago when they played against Toulouse.
"That was the standard that should be the calling card for Munster. They're able to do that."
Munster became a bad team under Johann van Graan. It didn't happen this season. It was a gradual development over the seasons he was in charge. But something really worsened when van Graan's departure was confirmed midseason. From then on, Munster put together too many bad performances.
The team was directionless too often and too many players underperformed too often.
Wood believes van Graan should have left when it was confirmed he had accepted the Bath job.
"I think the players have to take responsibility for their own performance, but I also think it becomes very difficult when it's almost like a lame duck coach. When Van Graan announced he was going six months ago, I was on this show. I said, he either changes the style that Munster play or maybe it's time for him to go at that stage.
"When you look back on it for five years, you say you'd like to have seen that change three or four years ago."
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