Johnny Sexton, Keith Earls and manager Mick Kearney retire from Ireland set-up

Ireland fell to a 28-24 loss to an organised New Zealand in Paris, with evident heartbreak throughout the Irish contingent.

Jonathan Sexton’s son Luca with Joe Schmidt of New Zealand after the game.

A TEARFUL Johnny Sexton paid tribute to the players who've given him the best moments of his international career — and for Andy Farrell, who he described thus: 'What a coach, what a man."

"I'm very proud of the boys, proud of the nation, the country, we couldn't have done any more really," Sexton told Virgin Media after the 28-24 quarter final defeat to New Zealand at Stade de France.