Bruised Ireland reflect on end of an era

PARIS - As Ireland pack up camp and prepare to leave Paris they are left to contemplate not just another painful head-butt with their Rugby World Cup glass ceiling, but also the break-up of an era-defining squad.

The world's top-ranked team's 28-24 loss to New Zealand – their eighth World Cup quarter-final defeat from eight quarter-finals – brought Ireland's Paris party to a premature end and deprived a fairytale finish for players who have moved the Irish up a level.  

"Yes, it is the end of an era. There's no other way of putting it," Irish lock Peter O'Mahony pensively reflected in the bowels of the Stade de France. 

"You have a group of senior players who are moving on," he added, standing barefoot, still in full Irish kit. "There’s a group of guys who won't play for Ireland again who have had an incredible impact on Irish rugby, not only in the last few years but the last decade."

Chief among those players is Irish talisman Johnny Sexton. The 2018 World Rugby Player of the Year has a groaning trophy cabinet including four Six Nations titles and two Grand Slams with Ireland, a test series win with the British & Irish Lions, and four European Cups with Leinster.

No room will need to be made for a World Cup now. Winger Keith Earls also calls time on his career after 101 caps. 

"It's tough," O'Mahony said. "Tough to lose these kind of guys in these kind of circumstances. I've spent a lot of time with himself (Earls) and Johnny obviously... probably every one of my caps had one of two of them in it, so it's tough to lose fellas like that, obviously big characters. 

"And most importantly big people, the best type of people, fellas who have your back all the time, you know, good friends of mine, so it is tough to say goodbye to