Video and gallery: Hard to find the silver lining in Argentina defeat

If the past week felt like something akin to a funeral, with stories of a career well led doing endless rounds following Paul O’Connell’s World Cup-ending injury, the wake may just have begun.

If it feels like we’ve been here before, it’s probably because we have.

Yet again, our World Cup bogie team, Argentina, contrived to drive the final nail into our tournament coffin and bury hopes of glory for at least another four years when the Land of the Rising Sun plays host — perhaps a glimmer of hope amid the doom and gloom of a miserable Cardiff afternoon.

Alone Adelaide still stands in the history of Irish-Argentine World Cup clashes.

The Welsh capital, home to so many great Irish victories, is now tainted by association with previous graveyards Lens and Paris.

Ireland supporters sing their heart out in Cardiff in the clash against Argentina. Picture: Patrick Browne

Seventeen points down after 13 minutes was an early recipe for disaster as Argentina got off to a flying start. Two tries within nine minutes had the Irish, shorn of their captain and a host of key players, reeling. Ultimately the deficits proved too big to make up.

Luke Fitzgerald’s wonderful try 15 minutes before half-time injected some much-needed belief before half time but, not to be outdone, our old foes responded emphatically to win by more than double scores.

Margaret Furlong, mother of Tadhg, was disappointed but ultimately proud of her son and his teammates.

Ireland fans dejected in the stands following the Rugby World Cup match at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. Picture: PA

In the end, the injury toll might have tipped the scales against Ireland, she suggested, while also in her group, Sarah McCarthy found solace in the second half performance despite Schmidt’s men defeat.

Others of Ms Furlong’s contingent, Richard Nolan of New Ross and Pat Beardmore of Clonmel, were also of the opinion that the injury list and Sean O’Brien’s suspension for punching proved costly.

The gloomy post-game atmosphere couldn’t have been in starker contrast to the joyous scenes that enveloped Cardiff city centre prior to the game.

Up and down the thronged streets of Cardiff city centre, fans reminisced over a pint or two of great provincial victories of years past — not to mention the most recent invasion last week, which saw France dispatched to set up yesterday’s encounter.

The French might not be the easiest side to empathise with but if ever there was a time, this was it. With the cost of a room edging past €1,600 and flights far from cheap, it was again a case of planes, trains and automobiles for many of the travelling fans to get to Cardiff and, come hell or high water, they were going to make the most of it.

The McFaddens of Portmarnock were savouring the atmosphere from early on Saturday, having arrived courtesy of that stalwart of Irish rugby fans, Trevor Brennan Tours.

Irish fans forlorn as the comeback runs out of steam. Picture: Patrick Browne

The music that rang out around the streets on Saturday spilled into Sunday from early as the city centre streets moved to the beat of many a different drum.

A French brass band or two belted ‘La Marseillaise’ in between innumerable versions of the Welsh national anthem, while a version of ‘The Fields of Athenry’ was never far away.

And so the night played out with the Argentines in full voice and the Irish left to nurse their way through ‘The Fields’ in a manner more in tune with its origins as a famine-era lament.

Hope springs eternal, however, and all roads now lead to Japan in four years’ time.