A crushing quarter-final exit at the hands of New Zealand is a sad way for stalwarts Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls to bow out
‘Sport can be cruel, that’s why we love it so much’The Ireland head coach, Andy Farrell, said it was “the end” for his current squad after they crashed out of the“The sad thing for us now is, it’s probably the end for this team,” said Farrell following the quarter-final defeat. “It is for Johnny, and Keith Earls is going to retire as well. Things are going to change.”at the Stade de France – Farrell said: “Fine margins and all that.
“At the end of the day, two good teams were out there playing some outstanding rugby. Unfortunately we came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Sport can be cruel, that’s why we love it so much. I’m unbelievably proud of the group, not just today, but all the through the tournament.” A tearful Sexton said: “The last six weeks has been incredible. The support, the way we’ve played, the combination of both. It’s been a dream come true for all of us. I include today.Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings , then Notifications.“I just felt they didn’t have to work as hard for their tries.
“I’m pretty happy,” said the New Zealand head coach, Ian Foster. “This is a special day for us. Two massively proud teams. Sometimes the sweetest victories are when your opponent plays really well, and tests you to the limit. At the end of the day, we played a lot of that game with 14 players … I thought we looked in control of it.”
“What an incredible finish to a Test match,” said the New Zealand captain, Sam Cane, of his side’s defence at the end. “Thirty-seven phases, it’s almost as long a period as I’ve heard of, or witnessed. The ability of the boys to keep turning up for each other. It’s pretty clear that defence won us the match. That’s the benchmark for us going forward.”
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