Over and out

IT SEEMED fitting in a French-based tournament that the guillotine should finally fall on Ireland’s World Cup aspirations in the Parc Des Princes, a venue that has wreaked so much pain and havoc on a succession of Irish teams throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

There was a palpable air of sadness surrounding the Irish dressing room area in the hour after yesterday’s final pool game as the grim realisation struck home. Ireland are out before the big guns even begin to shift through the gears.

No doubt there will be copious reviews conducted from within the IRFU, the media, and the general public as rugby people everywhere attempt to rationalise the complete systems failure that has overtaken this Irish team in the past month.