Sexton's 'gutting' defeat as Ireland's World Cup exit ends storied career

Johnny Sexton's son Luca accompanied his father round a rugby pitch for the final time after his stellar career ended in bitter disappointment with a 28-24 defeat to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and told him "you're still the best dad."

It was a tearful but dignified Sexton who appeared at the post-match press conference after his dreams of a fairytale ending were dashed by the All Blacks in an absorbing contest on Saturday.

After leading them to 17 successive Test wins, including a historic series win in New Zealand, many had thought this Irish side would finally break the World Cup glass ceiling and reach the semi-finals.

However, like so many great Irish players before him, Sexton fell short.

The 38-year-old described the defeat as "gutting" because of the small margins involved - including when Ronan Kelleher was held up over the line with minutes remaining.

The flyhalf said the end result may not have been what he wanted but overall this final campaign had left him with happy memories.

"How can you be prouder to be Irish when you see what's happened over the last six weeks really?" said Sexton, of the tens of thousands of Irish fans who had turned the Stade de France into a sea of green for two consecutive weekends.

"We get behind the team like no other. It's incredible and it's not wasted on us, and that's why it's so hard to take really, that we didn't give them another couple of weekends.

"They (the squad) are an incredible bunch led by the man beside me," he said, gesturing to head coach Andy Farrell.

"It's the best group I have ever been apart of. Bar none.

"The last couple of years have definitely been, in a green jersey anyway, the most enjoyable of my career," said Sexton. "Definitely.

"The group,