Sense of a missed opportunity will linger for a long, long time as All Blacks deny the prize of a semi-final against Argentina
Ireland's Josh van der Flier, Johnny Sexton, Caelan Doris and Jimmy O'Brien are comforted after their defeat to the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final at the Stade de France. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
“Sport can be cruel sometimes, I suppose that’s why we love it so much,” reflected the head coach. “My initial feeling is that I’m unbelievably proud of the group, how they handled themselves, not just today but all through the tournament, over the last couple of years. That will be my overriding feeling.
Suffering as a coach was a new one, and this was perhaps the worst of all simply because it was the best Irish team ever at a World Cup,“I just felt when we were 13-0 down we still could have won it,” added the Irish forwards coach in one of six references to going “13-0 down”, which seemed telling in itself.
But for that, Ireland would have gone ahead for the first time in the match, indeed for the first time in any quarter-final since 1995. Farrell has proven himself an exceptional head coach with a strong team of assistants, and the core of the squad will be supplemented by some of the three Under-20 Grand Slam teams in the past four Six Nations as well as an Under-20 World Cup final.
New Zealand players applaud as Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton and his team-mates leave the pitch following their defeat. Photograph: Emmanuel Dunand/Getty Images/AFP
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