‘It just feels like we are so close … It’s raw now’ – Irish centre Aoife Dalton
Ireland’s Aoibheann Reilly and Aoife Dalton after their World Cup quarter-final defeat to France at Sandy Park in Exeter. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
There’s a special brand of regret reserved for Irish teams after a World Cup quarter-final and Scott Bemand’s team will have their own edition after their 18-13 loss to France in Exeter.
The players met the occasion of a last-eight game, they unloaded themselves, they fought viciously. But this quarter-final was there for the taking and Ireland put themselves in a position to take it.