ON RUGBY:Along with the Blarney Army, the departing Ireland squad at least left a ton of good memories and good impressions, writes GERRY THORNLEY

FOR ALL but the eventual winners, the Rugby World Cup ends in defeat and thus, varying degrees of disappointment for 19 of the 20 contestants. That’s worth bearing in mind as the squads from Ireland, South Africa, England and Argentina headed for the departure gates yesterday, after the likes of Samoa and Scotland before them.

This is worth bearing in mind as the Irish squad ruefully reflect on what might have been. This has been, for sure, Ireland’s best World Cup campaign yet, which in part is a reflection on the preceding six. That their disappointment is probably the most acute of any Irish squad is, in part down to the previous four quarter-final exits as well as the golden opportunity their form had given them.

Along with the Blarney Army, they at least left a ton of good memories and good impressions. Ireland lit up the tournament with the pool stages’ most significant result in beating Australia (Tonga’s win over France ultimately had no material effect).

Yet the over-riding feeling remains one of profound sadness at the way Ireland fought the good fight but couldn’t salvage the game against a younger Welsh outfit on Saturday.

Yet as with the thought of such a huge diaspora being obliged to live abroad, and heaven knows when there’ll ever be anything akin to the odyssey of the last five weeks, there is the certainty that the last surviving core of the golden generation – particularly Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell – won’t play in another World Cup, and therefore won’t ever break new ground in reaching a semi-final. That sucks, alright.

By contrast, though, Scotland’s failure to score a try underlined the parlous state of their game, while Samoa can rightly have plenty of laments with an elitist, self-perpetuating organisation which condemned them to four matches in 16 days.

Short of adding on another week (to accommodate an extra play-off round or a weekend’s rest at some point for everyone) there is no real solution to this dilemma, although Trevor Brennan, for one, argues it is the top tier countries which should be pitted with the tougher schedules as they have the squad depth to cope.

Alas commercial imperatives, for they also draw the biggest audiences at peak weekend viewing times, suggests that’s unlikely.

For their part, England’s departure will not be lamented. As joyless as they’ve been on the pitch (ball-switching against Georgia, for heaven’s sake, and yet more cheap shots by Delon Armitage and Courtney Lawes) they’ve been gormless off it.

South Africa’s departure as world champions will not be overly lamented either, but not because of any off-field behaviour or even their crash-bang-wallop high tempo rugby and their acute rivalry with the All Blacks. Primarily, their largely unfathomable defeat to the Wallabies will, most likely, offer the hosts a more negotiable path to the final.

Allowing for their heroic defending, Australia’s win must rank as one of the most fortunate in the history of the World Cup. Not alone did two forward passes cost the Boks a winning breakthrough before a drop goal shaved the upright, but their grievances over the way Bryce Lawrence refereed the breakdown – where he allowed a street fight – seemed entirely valid.

In truth, the non-selection of Bismarck du Plessis – who was like a caged lion when he was eventually allowed on to the pitch – also hurt the Boks dearly. Throw in the Wallabies’ appalling record at Eden Park and one ventures All Blacks supporters will be more optimistic about facing Australia than South Africa.

Furthermore, nothing about Quade Cooper’s latest misfiring performance did anything to alleviate the feeling that it is very hard to believe a team with him at outhalf will be lifting the William Webb Ellis trophy on Sunday, October 23rd.

That Ireland beat Australia, who beat South Africa, who beat Wales, who beat Ireland, would, admittedly, suggests this is possibly the most open and competitive World Cup ever. Entering the quarter-finals, one could make a valid case for six teams winning the World Cup.

On foot of another badly needed outbreak of player power in the French camp with, apparently, the Biarritz duo of Dimitri Yachvili and Imanol Harinordoquy running the show, that should actually have been seven (the exception being Argentina).

The desperate need for atonement and fear of failure is somewhat removed from the curious French psyche this week though, and Wales are a better coached team, playing better rugby and have a better defence.

That should count for something, shouldn’t it?

France losing two games but still reaching the semi-finals, with every chance of winning it, might somehow appear to devalue the competition, or the draw. But not really. Even in minimalist mode, and even a French team growing even more disillusioned with their coach Marc Lièvremont, would have negotiated their way through England’s pool against Argentina and Scotland with more ease than England did.

By comparison, Argentina’s mixture of veteran pros, unheralded younger pros and amateurs went out gloriously, the phenomenal workhorse Patricio Albacete setting the template scoring the game’s first and best try against the All Blacks, thanks in part to perhaps the play of the tournament by Felipe Contepomi in his fourth and last World Cup (a la his long-time Leinster team-mate O’Driscoll). And also a footballing genius.

As expected, Los Pumas received few favours from Nigel Owens and one has to say there is a real issue with referees clamouring for the final on New Zealand soil in front of the IRB’s New Zealand refereeing chief Paddy O’Brien, even if the match-day appointments are only based in part on his recommendations and are not of his choosing.

Put another way, does anyone for a second really believe the Argentinian yellow card would have been applied to Richie McCaw for the exact same offence? Exactly.

Amongst the throng who gathered for the Irish squad’s farewell from Auckland were Daniel O’Connor and his friends, who have been up and down New Zealand following the squad’s progress through the pool stages to the quarter-finals, in their tri-coloured supporters van.

Autographed by all the players and Declan Kidney yesterday, it’s possibly the most recognisable piece of World Cup memorabilia in New Zealand, and the owners reckon it would be a great museum piece to put on show back in Ireland.

For anyone interested in buying the van or sending it home, Daniel can be contacted on their facebook page at Irish-Van-RWC-11.