"I started a joke, that started the whole world ......" | Ireland v New Zealand.

Dunno, haven't clicked on the tweets about it yet.

Did you get the PM wishing suicide on you from @cson as well?

He really is a lovely chap with a few jars in him.

Yeah anyone harping on about how we played the #5 ranked team in the world in our pool is looking at a number, and ignoring the fact that Scotland are muck.

This fascination on numbers and rankings is strange. Particularly as we are ranked #1 and have fallen at the quarter final stage.

A bit unfair. I think Andy Farrell explained what they were doing there. NZ didn't have huge numbers travelling to the games nor created the atmosphere we did.

I am sure they went to the clusters of their fans to thank them, we just didn't see it.

Looking back at the game again. We lost pretty much all the key critical set plays. Our scrum was shambolic at times. Lineout was crucified. A couple of poor executions from Johnny Sexton along with the failure to replace him with fresh legs with 15 to go. That ball getting held up was brilliant but again something we should have been able to counter. We were let down by our coaching and leadership on the field.

All excuses though that we are use to hearing. They dont get any better either.

NZ will say that they also made mistakes and thats why the game was as close as it was.

What now? Will Farrell stay?

A fresh voice and approach needed. He has failed.

I have a feeling that Andy Farrell is going to be the Lions head coach...so he is going to be gone from Ireland for a good year or so....

The IRFU will promote from within....i would have thought pre world cup that POC was being lined up as interim coach....but the lineout has been such a shambles there are now question marks over him.....

Interesting times ahead...

The amount of spoiled brats on here is incredible. Sack a grand slam winning coach that saw us win 17 in a row. Farrell is one of the best head coaches around. There are very few who would be an actual improvement.

We left that behind us last night , we played against 14 for 20 minutes and still came up short. The third try for new Zealand was ridiculously easy. I think why there is some gloating by a minority when the rugby team loose is because the constant hyperbole on the radio, TV. Ciara Kelly on newstalk Friday morning telling everyone that this is rugby country, John duggan telling us beating the all blacks was the greatest sporting achievement, Neil Francis telling us all it's rugby country also to name a few. We don't get the same amount of shite with other sports.

I agree. But regardless of how good a coach is there is a time cycle on productivity and being able to improve and achieve things with a group. His is naturally ended now. Plus i doubt any of our remaining out halfs have any trust in the current coaching ticket.

A few thoughts on Ireland in this World Cup.

When I started watching rugby, Ireland would be beaten routinely by the likes of Scotland and Wales and humiliated routinely by the likes of England and France. Beating the All Blacks was a pipe dream.

The achievements of the current squad, and the way in which they go about their business, continues to amaze me. This outfit should be recognised as a source of national pride and joy.

On the game, Barnes' performance was excellent and should not be mentioned as a factor.

The better team on the night won deservedly. They are billed as a relatively poor All Black team, but they remain an All Black team. Their discipline (outside of the two yellows) and game management was excellent. They rucked and defended like madmen and displayed attacking flair when the opportunity knocked. It was the best performance by any team at the WC so far and I now back them to win the entire thing.

Ireland showed tremendous craft at times and tremendous resilience at all times.

However, the set pieces malfunctioned and that cost them dearly. They weren't getting to rucks or chasing kicks with the savage urgency of their opponents. The back row was outplayed, Sexton was outplayed. Ireland were greedy in going for the line instead of sensibly taking 3 on two occasions that I can recall.

James Ryan's heft and ferocity in the breakdown was severely missed on the night.

They got tired. I recognise the advantages of Farrell's policy of minimal deviation from his favoured core, but I feel it may have backfired. A second 15 should have been picked to dispatch Tonga, and I feel the argument was strong for rotation versus the Scots. The depth should have been better trusted. O'Brien and McCarthy proved so in outstanding cameos.

Still, Ireland did not play badly. It's possible to play well and still lose to a team who play better.

It was a mere 4 points after by far the best contest of this tournament, and what should be remember as one of the great World Cup encounters.

Talk of "chokers", "bottlers" and other unfair denigrations of this fine unit is the product of trolling, hurt feelings and/or small, spoilt minds.

The future remains bright and Farrell remains the man for the foreseeable.