One person wrote: “My Irish rugby-loving friends would fail to see the humour here? You aren’t being respectful if you have to say ‘no disrespect’ to start with. Poor form guys and hope you enjoyed the beat down!”
Another weighed in: “So glad our All Blacks were gracious in their win! One thing I love about our boys is that they’re humble enough to get on with the job without getting cocky or making fun of other teams’ cultures. Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka (the kūmara does not speak of its own sweetness)!”
One said: “Safe travels home. Never disrespect the haka.”
Others pitched in by saying things like George Gregan’s infamous “four more years” line and citing “karma” as the reason behind Ireland’s quarter-final heartbreak.
New Zealand withstood three comebacks from the then-top-ranked Ireland and two yellow cards to win a gripping match on Saturday and stay on course for a record fourth title. The All Blacks come back to Stade de France to meet Argentina on Saturday morning (New Zealand time), after the Pumas rallied to beat Wales 29-17 in Marseille.
Ireland go home after falling short again with an eighth World Cup quarter-final defeat.
Post-match, retiring Ireland captain Johnny Sexton said his overriding emotion was pride in his team and the Irish nation at large.
“We couldn’t have done any more, it’s just fine margins. They sucker-punched us on a few tries and that’s what champion teams do. We knew they were a great side and we fell just short, unfortunately. This six weeks has been a dream - this group, these fans and I’m just gutted we couldn’t do it for them,” Sexton said.
Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.