Wood still making a splash

The morning after Ireland had been dismantled by a stunning French performance in the World Cup quarter-final, newly-retired captain Keith Wood found life a bit confusing.

Today of all days Wood could have been excused a leisurely lie-in, the chance to sleep off the beers he had last night and celebrate his retirement in peace.

But that is simply not his style. That is not the approach that earned him 58 Ireland caps, five Lions caps and made him one of the most respected men in world rugby.

“There was, what I thought, a compulsory swim this morning – but I was one of the few players to turn up for it,” Wood joked, looking rather fresher from his night out than coach Eddie O’Sullivan alongside him.

“I am very confused. I don’t know if that is professionalism or pure amateurism!”

Wood bowed out of international rugby at the hands of a French outfit which oozed class in every facet of the game in the 43-21 victory.

From the dominant tight five, the match-winning loose forward trio to the creative back division marshalled by fly-half Frederic Michalak, things look far from blue for Les Bleus.

Eddie O’Sullivan ranked them immediately as his favourites to win the World Cup and Bernard Laporte believes he has a side on course to finally fulfil their long-awaited potential.

France lost World Cup finals in 1987 and 1999, but if they can replicate this showing against England next week and then in the grand finale on November 22, few will be able to stop them.

“France were irresistible yesterday,” said Wood, who will stay in Australia when the team fly home tomorrow for a holiday and watch the rest of the tournament unfold.

But he will be a spectator with a heavy heart.

“I was obviously very emotional last night. It didn’t hit me until the final whistle,” he reflected.

“I had a few beers, and then a few more, and chilled out a wee bit. But it is a strange feeling this morning.

“There are a few things you play for. The buzz of pulling on a green jersey and running out onto an international field is irreplaceable.

“I don’t think that is something I will ever get used to not having. That has been the cornerstone of what I have been about for the last 10 or so years.

“You miss the camaraderie, the craic, the messing around with the lads. You end up bonding on these sort of trips and I have been on a few.

“It has been an unbelievable amount of fun and I will miss the craic. One of the best things about rugby are the friends you make.”

One of Wood’s closest is France captain Fabien Galthie. The two captains embraced long and heartily after the final whistle and Wood believes the 34-year-old Frenchman, who will also retire after the World Cup, deserves to go out holding aloft the Webb Ellis trophy.

“We have been good friends for a long, long time. We have had an awful lot of good days and bad days on either side and we have a very good relationship,” said Wood.

“It was him or me (that was going to finish yesterday) and I gave him my sincere wishes that he retires with the trophy.

“It would do that man justice if he walks away with the World Cup at the end of it.”

As for what comes next, Wood is unsure. He has a few irons in the fire and his face will no doubt pop up on our television screens in the near future.

“I was joking that we might set up a soon-retired rugby club that we could play in ourselves for a bit of a life,” said Wood, a man who began his career during the amateur days, but finished as one of the game’s most consummate professionals.