David Corkery on Irish rugby's next step: Hurt will linger for management and players 

AND just like that, it all comes to a devastating, abrupt, and somewhat unexpected conclusion.

No one has died, but for some, it’s probably worse than a death.

I’m talking about Ireland’s World Cup adventure.

One minute you’re in the heart of France living the dream where you and your team-mates are the talk of the rugby fraternity and then, in the blink of an eye, the dream that you thought would never stop giving has completely destroyed everything you hoped for.

It might have taken four years of countless sacrifices by all of the players who represented us with such pride and loyalty during this World Cup. However, in less time than it takes to watch a half-decent movie, those countless hours of training and putting your body through unimaginable anguish now seem like a complete waste of time.

MISERY

I realise the world we live in is full of inconceivable misery right now, but for these Irish players who are now either on a beach somewhere or spending some much-needed time with their loved ones, there will be a constant tapping in their brain that will never let them forget what could have been.

Long before a ball was kicked in the tournament this Irish squad would have sat down and agreed on what was an acceptable and unacceptable outcome for them when their final whistle was to be sounded, and considering their position at the top of the world rankings, the majority would have expected to go all the way.

They would have spoken frankly about what they could and couldn’t control and about the sacrifices they would have to make.

Management and players would have opened themselves up to criticism and promised to use it in a positive fashion instead of throwing their toys out of the pram, which is what happened in previous tournaments.

Bringing home the William Webb Ellis trophy would have been their ultimate goal, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that this was a realistic target.

However, at the other end of the stick would have been the unacceptable side of the talks and that would have centered on not making it beyond the quarter-finals.

We all know Ireland have never made it beyond the last eight in a World Cup. When you have players such as Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony, Tadgh Furlong, Josh van der flier, and Gary Ringrose to name but a few, whose sole purpose is to win rugby matches, they wouldn’t even have comprehended exiting at the stage that they departed last Saturday.

So, for these players and many of their fellow brothers they will look at their efforts as a complete failing and they will suffer mentally.

If there was ever a squad that was going to venture into the unchartered waters of a World Cup semi-final this group was it because they had everything.

Off the field they had Andy Farrell, who by all accounts, seems to be the perfect coach, and on it they had the perfect blend of power, skill, experience, and youth.

Farrell might have come across as a quiet and reserved individual. However, if you want to see passion just look at some of his rugby league videos on YouTube and what you will see is a man who would do anything to win.

As a player, he was teak hard and this is something that doesn’t just leave you because your playing days are over. It will be very interesting to see how long he will stay with Ireland before England come knocking at his door.

Over the last few days we have read and heard all the post-mortems on what went wrong, but if the truth be told, all that stood between Ireland and a first World Cup semi-final was a bounce of a ball.

This game could have gone anyway, but New Zealand probably deserved it more because they won the all-important battle at the breakdown and they hunkered down and did what they had to do during the two 10-minute periods when they were reduced to 10 men.

Some argue that we should have kicked more; others suggest that we should have run it more and got the ball out wide to our wingers.

Some say Sexton should have been replaced on the 50-minute mark and others are saying that he was needed out there if a drop goal was required or a last-second penalty needed to be slotted.

I even saw one comment insinuating that Ireland had lost the game before it even started because the players didn’t have tears in their eyes during Ireland’s Call. If this is what people think they are fully entitled to their thoughts, but this is the best Irish side ever assembled and, for me, they were ready.

I guess the debates will go on for some time, but no matter what happens now, Irish rugby will start the next four-year rebuilding process still wondering what it feels like to play in a World Cup semi-final.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if we are to ever appear in a World Cup final and win it, we must lose one first because experience is everything in sport and is something no money can buy.