'I have to take responsibility for our Rugby World Cup exit,' says Schmidt at homecoming

Members of the Irish Rugby team have returned home after their World Cup exit to New Zealand at the quarter-final stage on Saturday.

Some of the Squad members, management and officials touched down at Dublin Airport from London on flight BA424 just shortly before 7pm this evening; after a long day of travelling from Japan.

Others have opted to stay away for a little while longer, before they return to club commitments.

A small number of Irish supporters welcomed them through the arrivals hall at Terminal 1, including Superfan Jennifer Malone from Clane, Co. Kildare.

Johnny Sexton was the first to emerge, followed a few minutes later by the rest of the squad members.

Irish Rugby head coach Joe Schmidt has been reflecting on the tournament, and was asked if he had any regrets.

“Getting to a semi-final was what we had planned a year ago,” he said at Dublin Airport.

“If I had one regret it's probably the fact that we talked about it a year ago, and we built up to it.

We probably went away from our week-to-week focus or our immediate tournament focus and starting talking about the World Cup a year in advance.

“Maybe we built it into something that became a bit of a self-consuming monster, because we didn't play as well as we could and I have to take responsibility for that.

“If I had my time over it I might have done it a bit differently, but unfortunately my time is done!”

Ireland's wait for a first-ever World Cup semi-final continues, after losing their seventh quarter-final.

As Joe Schmidt term comes to an end with a 75% win rate for Ireland, his second in command Andy Farrell steps up to the top role.

“To have a 75% win record and to have some of the trophies that we've had and some of the firsts that we have achieved – it's frustrating to end like this, because it's the only thing we haven't done,” Schmidt said.

I'm sure that group will continue to compete and I'll be cheering them on. We aren't going anywhere and I'm looking forward to getting along to the Six Nations next year and supporting the team.

Farrell's first game as Ireland head-coach will be against Scotland in the first game of the 2020 Six Nations on February 1st.

Ireland beat the Scots 27-3 at the Rugby World Cup a month ago.