Duncan Casey: A window into rich potential though Ireland may regret flogging dead horse

Very few people believed objectively that Ireland could topple this French side. This group of players had different ideas

Carlow's Dannah O’Brien left dejected after Ireland's defeat to France in the Women's Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan.

‘A game of two halves’ is a fitting cliché to describe much of the rugby that took place over the weekend. We were treated to various spectacles across the women’s and men’s game, with the World Cup quarter-finals and Rugby Championship delivering plenty of entertainment across the board.

Sadly, despite the most valiant of efforts against a side which, on paper, dwarfs our own in terms of playing and financial resources in the women’s game, Ireland bowed out of their first World Cup since 2017 in heartbreaking fashion.