Rugby World Cup: Beaten Ireland salute their Welsh conquerors

Ireland's Rhys Priestland of Wales clears the ball. Photo / Getty Images

Irish players sat in the Wellington spring sunshine yesterday and tried to put the agony of their Rugby World Cup exit into context.

Maybe Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris got closer than anyone to the reality. "If Wales play like they did against us there is no reason why they can't win the tournament," he said.

He had a point. Ferris fingered a growing lump on the right side of his face as he remembered the 145 tackles Wales made to shut Ireland out of the game and secure their place in the semifinal. Just how good had that rearguard been?

"Very effective indeed," was Ferris's verdict. "They are a very smart side. Every opportunity they got they seemed to take. They had only one opportunity in the first half and they scored.

"They have big, strong ball carriers, a magnificent back row, a strong scrum and a strong lineout. They can certainly progress even further."

Ferris spoke with reason and a hint of resignation at Ireland's fate. As he said, Ireland had played pretty well at this World Cup and enjoyed some special moments.

"We played well in this tournament. We won our pool but we knew it was going to be a tough game against Wales and you have to say they controlled the game very well. Fair play to them, they beat us well."

Wasn't this just another 2007, another 2003 and another 1999, he was asked? Even Ferris, philosophical and affable in the aftermath of defeat, winced a bit at that one.

"It was never about 2007; it was about here and now. We firmly believed we could go further in this tournament but we haven't. But 2007 is 2007 ... history. And now 2011 is the same, it is over. We must push on."

Tommy Bowe was asked just what it had been like to be one of those Irishmen smothered by an all-enveloping red blanket.

"It was very frustrating. You could tell how we maybe forced it a little bit and that led to knock-ons or turnover ball. They just seemed to have men everywhere. They weren't falling off tackles either and we just couldn't get across the line. It was just hugely frustrating."

To their credit, none of the Irish players attempted to minimise the sense of a glorious chance lost. That isn't their style; they front up to reality. Tommy Bowe wasn't about to buck that trend.

"It was a great opportunity missed. Yes, we had an opportunity to get into the semifinals of a World Cup for the first time in our history.

"We know that a lot of peoplewill be very disappointed in Ireland and we can say, no one is more disappointed than us.

"But we have to go home, have a few days of rest and then go back to our clubs and provinces and get back up on the horse again."

What became very clear over the weekend, both to Ireland and everyone else, was that this Welsh campaign has been masterly.

The key to their defeat of Ireland was defence. "We kept our structure for the vast majority of the game," said defence coach Shaun Edwards. "Our leg tackling was of the highest order. We have been trying to reinvent the art of leg tackling and we had the players with the courage and technique to do that."

Amazing how so simple a tactic could boost one country's entire World Cup fate.