Alan Gaffney. Picture: Action Images

Saracens boss Alan Gaffney said he could not have asked for anything more from his players following their demoralising 16-18 Heineken Cup semi final defeat to Munster.

The Aussie was awash with emotion during the post-match press conference as his ashen-faced skipper Neil de Kock sat beside him wondering what might have been.

It was yet another case of so close, yet so far for Saracens but Gaffney says he and his players can hold their heads up high with the strides they have made under his two year stewardship.

"I couldn't have asked for anything more from my players, it just wasn't to be," said the Aussie with a lump in his throat. "Nobody gave us a hope but it was a fantastic performance from the boys.

"We knew we had that kind of performance in us but it is a game of small margins, so I am sitting here rather disillusioned."

"We've made four semi finals in the six competitions we've played in two years," added the director of rugby. "That is quite reasonable but we still haven't won anything.

"We are doing something right but are not as consistent as we would loike to be."

Gaffney, who enjoyed a trophy laden three years in charge of Munster has tipped his old side to beat Toulouse in next month's final.

"They have come a long way since I left them," he said. "I might have a small wager on them to win the final."

Gutted Sarries captain Neil de Kock said he and the players were finding the defeat hard to digest.

"We are gutted and disappointed not to have won but we ended up shooting ourselves in the foot," said the scrum-half. "The gut wrenching thing is we are probably going to have to wait another two seasons to have another crack at this competition. That is a really tough pill to swallow."

De Kock then put his own demons aside to give the outgoing Gaffney a ringing endorsement on behalf of his squad and the supporters.

"We haven't gone all the way but you can see the contribution he has made here," said the South African. "It's very disappointing to see him go (at the end of the season) but he has brought us so far."

Those words were echoed by flanker Richard Hill, who admitted it was a wrench not to have helped Sarries end their barren pursuit of silverware in his penultimate match before retiring.

"Alan has been brilliant and there is no doubt we've come a long way as a team and a squad in just two years," said the flanker. "We've made a few semi finals but now it is a case of building year on year.

"The aim has to be to raise the level of consistency and convert one of these semi finals into a final."

"This was the last time I will play at that level of competition," he added. "We've come so far as a team and were only a matter of points from getting to a Heineken Cup final."

6:07pm Sunday 27th April 2008

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