The Ireland head coach, Andy Farrell, said it was “the end” for his current squad after they were knocked out of the Rugby World Cup at the hands of the All Blacks, bringing a devastating finish to the career of the captain, Johnny Sexton.
“The sad thing for us now is, it’s probably the end for this team,” said Farrell after the quarter-final defeat. “It is for Johnny, and Keith Earls is going to retire as well. Things are going to change.”
On how the game unfolded – with Ireland narrowly failing to find a crucial score at the death in a 28-24 defeat at the Stade de France – Farrell said: “Fine margins and all that. We got held up over the line from a maul very close to the end, which could have sealed it.
“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.
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“I just felt they didn’t have to work as hard for their tries. It was like being sucker-punched a couple of times. I’m not taking anything away from them, they’re a quality team. But to concede the try when we did [in the second half] … and to fight back again … it just shows the character of the team. They’re an incredible bunch.”
Asked to give a message to the Irish fans, Sexton said: “Thank you. How can you be prouder to be Irish? They get behind the team like no other. That’s why it’s so hard to take.”
“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,” the New Zealand captain, Sam Cane, said 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.”
