Southern hemisphere nations dominate world rankings

Joe Schmidt says his Ireland side’s poor start and a lack of experience cost them in the World Cup last-eight defeat against Argentina.

Tuculet and Imhoff sealed Ireland’s fate when they crashed over for two devastating tries in the last 12 minutes, Sanchez twice more converting and having the last laugh with a final penalty to deny Ireland a first-ever place in the semi-finals after a gripping game.

The bedrock, though, is a strong amateur game, with more than 480 clubs divided into 25 provincial unions the length and breadth of the country, players’ identification with their clubs where they start playing soon after learning to walk and a passion for the Pumas’ colours. It would be very good if he comes. The Pumas had more speed, greater athleticism, and they were more clinical.

Sanchez kept the scoreboard ticking over and clinical finishing from fullback Joaquin Tuculet and Imhoff for tries in the last 11 minutes ensured Argentina would match their achievement of reaching the semis in 2007.

Ireland had a frenetic preparation for the sudden-death encounter, losing fly-half Johnny Sexton, captain and lock Paul O’Connell and flanker Peter O’Mahony to injury. Ireland drop out of the top five, behind Wales.

It is the second time in its history Argentina has reached this stage, with Australia progressing after edging luckless Scotland 35-34 in a pulsating match at Twickenham later Sunday.

“It was very frustrating but the best thing we can do is learn from it and move forward”.

“Obviously they’ve piggy-backed on their first (RC away) victory against the Springboks in Johannesburg earlier this year”.

“Without them we’d be substantially different, so we’re quite lucky that we’ve got both Gitty and Squeak (captain Stephen Moore) there leading the ship around on their 100th”.

“It’s devastating to be going home tomorrow after putting your body on the line for the whole tournament”, said Earls. “Unfortunately we were beaten by a much better side”.

“I felt we straggled around in that first 15 minutes”. “It’s pretty hard not to respect the performance that Argentina put on”.

“This is how we feel about it and the players like carrying it through”.

Schmidt claimed Sanchez made a meal of the challenge, that allowed Argentina to secure a six-point lead heading into the final throes.

“All of those teams, and we saw it, were capable of getting into a semi-final, maybe even a final, so I think they will do their own individual reviews and find their own reasons for why they didn’t go as far as their ambitions would like to take them”.

There was still time for Imhoff to get a second after Lobbe’s surge up-field took out Irish defenders and off-load sent the wing over, giving Daniel Hourcade’s team a 20 point lead. We were a little bit flat in the first half.

“I thought Sanchez was imperious today”. Only England, from the north, has broken the southern grip on the Webb Ellis Cup with an extra-time victory over Australia in the 2003 final in Sydney.