Rugby World Cup: The outcome will hurt Ireland's outstanding group of players a long time but Andy Farrell has set the right tone and the squad remains one full of potential
The outcome will hurt an outstanding group of players a long time but Andy Farrell has set the right tone and the squad remains one full of potentialAaron Smith and Rieko Ioane of New Zealand celebrate as referee Wayne Barnes signals the end of Ireland's Rugby World Cup dream after the quarter-final at the Stade de France. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images
The process of winding down at the team hotel to return home, packing up, can be a welcome distraction but it is temporary. In the quieter moments your mind inevitably returns to match images, actions that you got wrong, meshed with the “what ifs” and “if only” swirling around; but nothing changes the result. Time is the only release mechanism.
Andy Farrell will ensure that is the case. As he has done time and time again, he set the tone in the after-match press conference when he congratulated New Zealand on their win and took ownership of the defeat. Once again we endured a shaky start in this facet of the game in the opening 30 minutes and the malfunction robbed Farrell’s side of opportunities to pressure the All Blacks. Instead, we turned the ball over and invited New Zealand to set the tempo of the game.
New Zealand found a level of performance that has largely escaped them in Ian Foster’s reign. Individually they fronted up and, as I wrote last week, in such an eventuality it would be dangerous. Ireland are the more complete team but New Zealand players delivered moments of magic; Richie Mo’unga and Will Jordan created and finished their third try exquisitely.
The talk prematch was also about respect and rivalry, and I take enormous pride in the way our team has earned that respect. Rieko Ioane’s gesture after the final whistle was disappointing. Actions speak louder than words and this has made me question if it was just lip-service that New Zealander paid to that respect and rivalry.
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