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17th October 2023
03:00pm BST
14 October 2023; New Zealand assistant coach Joe Schmidt before the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris, France. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile[/caption]
"That wasn't a choke from Ireland. They played superbly but they just weren't quite as good as the All Blacks and couldn't get there. But it wasn't a choke."That being said, Napier feels that the loss of a key players like Johnny Sexton, in particular, will set Ireland back some distance. "Particularly when you lose such a pivotal figure like Johnny Sexton. So much of their game and mentality is built around him. "If he wasn't at this tournament, I feel like there would have been a lot more jitters, and a lot more nerves. "He's 38, been there with the Lions and Leinster, he has that big match temperament. He's a massive loss. Peter O'Mahony won't see another World Cup." "It probably depends on how quickly you're looking to re-generate that team. Are you looking to do it next year?" "These sort of questions loom over that team. And I guess there will be a level of doubt now, because for all their historic achievements, Ireland have again not got past a quarter final. And when you drill down a little deeper, Leinster have also lost the past two Champions Cup finals, and a lot of those players make up the Irish team."
"To not get over those hurdles will sow seeds of doubt. But there are still a number of world class players in that team. Some of them are on the older side so it is going to be interesting how long they stick with them."On that same theme, the stark reality remains the same. And former New Zealand rugby union player and cricketer Jeff Wilson was less sympathetic towards the Ireland team. "The All Blacks were never behind on the scoreboard. The best team on the night won," he said. "They weren't allowed to do what they have done, on the effort and work of the All Blacks. What they did wasn't good enough on that given night," he said. "They knew what was coming. They should have understood this wasn't the same All Black team they beat in New Zealand. In the end, they weren't good enough. I believe New Zealand wanted it, that little bit more."
In other words, the re-build starts now.
"But I do think Irish rugby is set up very well, from a centralised model to the strength of the clubs. It's well financially resourced, so they're not going to fall off a cliff so there is going to need to be a re-build, but they're still going to be one of the leading teams in Europe.
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