McDermott: We have shed ‘second best’ mentality

MAYBE it is a marking of changing times. Or maybe it is something more positive that is creeping into the Irish sporting mindset.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Ireland would have been quite content to finish runners up in a World Cup final, accepting the plaudits for being gallant losers.

Not any more.

Within minutes of Ireland’s humbling loss to New Zealand, boss Mark McDermott was already planning for the future, vowing to develop the remarkable talent at his fingertips.

“It’s up to us now to pick ourselves up and learn from the experience. I’m sure the guys will because they’re a great bunch. We didn’t get any type of decent possession in the first half and it was all over at the interval. I was proud of the way the lads played, proud of the way they defended but a bit frustrated because they showed potential when they had the ball,” he said.

“Ireland lost by almost 30 points but stormed through the New Zealand defence in the closing minutes and could well have cut the gap by a significant margin. We have no complaints about the result but it really should have been closer.”

Alongside him Pat Murray stressed that the Irish youth will learn enormously from their Scottish adventures, especially from the meeting with the might of the All Blacks.

“They were good, played with pace and power and probably had a bit more in reserve that we had,” he said of New Zealand.

“We have stuck basically to the same team because of our resources and we asked a lot of the players over the last few weeks. Maybe it was a bit too much of an ask but I don’t think we could have changed anything and I don’t think anyone would have wanted things to be changed.”

And he too admitted disappointment.

“Coming from a background where I’ve won a fair few medals, I’m not happy to settle for second best, but for Ireland to reach a World Cup final and not be disgraced is something to look back upon.

“The players will all learn from this. It has been an amazing experience that other guys from England, France, Wales and Scotland haven’t experienced. It’s got to be good for the guys involved, no matter how disappointed they must feel at this particular time.”

Irish team manager Brian O’Brien was present to watch what he described as a “fine” performance.

“I’m disappointed for the players of course because I know that they did not want to settle for second best. But getting to a World Cup final is another step up the ladder. We’ve got to aspire to days like this and this is a great education for young players.

“Many of these guys will go on to play professional rugby, some of them will play for their country.

“They will look back on 2004 and tell themselves they were privileged to be involved in such a big game but not happy that they lost.”