Eoin Reddan admits he and his Leinster team mates were shocked by coach Matt O'Connor's departure.
The Australian's tenure was brought to a halt after a disappointing season, which saw the three time European Champions finish outside the Pro 12 top 4 for the first time since 2004.
Reddan says the Leinster players feel they let O'Connor down and should have done more for a coach who was popular with the squad.
The 34 year old scrum half thought O'Connor would be given time to turn things around.
