The full quote from Leicester Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor on Saturday night was not at all unreasonable. He articulately explained the chief reason for Munster’s comprehensive win, crediting their aggression and intelligence while lamenting the shortcomings of his own side.

“We were inaccurate. You can’t come here and be inaccurate. I thought we were poor and we didn’t look after the ball well enough. I think we turned over the ball 20 times. “They took their chances in the first half, they were very clinical and accurate and, from there, they were very, very diligent and cynical in killing the ball whenever we had opportunities. It made it hard for us to score.”

“Cynical” - defined as ‘showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty’ - was the adjective that caused a stir. But O’Connor meant it as a compliment to Munster’s streetwise display. When pressed on the performance of referee Jerome Garces, the Australian refused to lean on the easy excuse.

“You’ve got to be better. It’s always the same here, you’ve got to make sure you’re accurate. They’re ferocious at the ball and they’re very, very committed.”

In this, O’Connor was probably unduly diplomatic. Munster’s breakdown dominance was helped by a couple sympathetic of calls from Garces early on. As Donncha O’Callaghan suggested on BT Sport, the Frenchman allowed a contest to develop at the tackle area more than most Premiership referees might.