Ireland's World Cup/Player-by-player assessment and news: Gerry Thornley looks at each member of Ireland's World Cup squad and separates the men from the boys.
Girvan Dempsey: Began the tournament confidently, running hard, making line breaks and creating tries in opening wins over Romania and Namibia, playing all bar the last 15 minutes of that game, but his performances gradually fell away. He seemed to lose confidence, played percentages and avoided contact - and looked in need of a break by the end.
Paddy Wallace: Produced one of the best moments of skill by an Irish player in training one day. Alas, never played one minute and would have been better off with game time at Ulster, where he's lost his place to Bryn Cunningham.
Shane Horgan: Hadn't played a minute of Test rugby in almost eight months, yet, to his credit, never missed a minute in the World Cup. Fearless and aggressive, he ran hard and competed well in the air. He had a tendency to drift infield in defence, but, then again, he seemed to be regularly exposed by Ireland's defensive system.
Brian O'Driscoll: Played all bar the last two minutes against Romania. His defence and work-rate never wavered, even when Ireland's backplay wasn't creating any chances for him, but by sheer talent and force of will he imposed himself from the last quarter of the Argentinian game onwards. All of his three adroitly-taken tries in the final two outings bore the hallmark of a class player.
Kevin Maggs: Another who played every minute. Took the ball up well enough, though his excellent, if token, try against France was his first clear incision. An important cog in the defence, he didn't seem to be quite as effective as of yore.
Denis Hickie: Looked like being Ireland's only real attacking weapon as he maintained his rich vein of form at the outset of the tournament with three tries against the minnows before sustaining a ruptured Achilles' tendon at the end of first half against Australia. Missed against France, he might possibly have scored off a 15th-minute move from deep when Dempsey looked for Kelly on his outside.
John Kelly: After late substitute appearances against Romania and Namibia, when he scored his eighth Test try, Kelly did well when introduced as a half-time replacement against Australia with a try-scoring pass for O'Driscoll, but was a little exposed in first start of the tournament against rampant French.
Anthony Horgan: Like four others of the original squad, he was never even in a match-day 22 before being selected on the bench against France, when his rustiness would have precluded his chances of a run, even when the game was long since lost. He's probably wondering why he was picked himself.
Tyrone Howe: Called up as a late replacement. Again, he never saw a minute either.
David Humphreys: Again looked in prime nick against Romania, but was put into a tactical straitjacket against Argentina when his head gradually dropped, after which he was never started again. Otherwise, there was always an individualistic spark to his play, he kicked consistently well out of hand and off the deck, striking that late drop-goal attempt against Australia almost too well, and was introduced too late against France when he instigated that consolation comeback in trademark style.
Ronan O'Gara: The Gosford monsoon limited his game against Namibia, but as a sub he grabbed the Argentinian game by the scruff of the neck to spark the Maggs-O'Driscoll axis into life, as well as landing a real pressure penalty to start the last two. Attacked the gain-line well against Australia as well, but his kicking wasn't as good as normal. A bang on the head and the fast-up French defence negated his influence on Sunday.
Peter Stringer: Started every game. His handling off the deck and passing were excellent, as was his workrate and cover tackling. Still needs to further develop his kicking game and do more to tie in fringe defences, if not by himself, then with the help of close-in runners. Became Ireland's most capped scrumhalf, and still not a challenger in sight.
Guy Easterby: Bit-part roles from the 70th minute onwards against Romania, Namibia and on Sunday.
Neil Doak: Another of the Terrigal Five who was never involved in any of the match-day 22s. Now has a fight to regain his Ulster scrumhalf role from Kieran Campbell.
Reggie Corrigan: Tighthead against Romania, injured for Namibia, Corrigan finally reverted to loosehead for Ireland's three big games.Did well against Argentina and Australia, but struggled against
France, when his scrummaging incurred the wrath of Jonathan Kaplan and his touchjudges.
Marcus Horan: After starting the opening two games, Horan was restricted to substitute cameos thereafter, making an eye-catching impression against Argentina before experiencing the might of the French scrum.
Keith Wood: Improved with every game, led from the front as always before making an emotional farewell. Believed Ireland could win the World Cup. Not enough others did. Time waits for no man, and it's time for Ireland to move on without him. An utter one-off, we will never see his like again.
Shane Byrne: Brief appearances off the bench against Romania, when he actually did quite well in the tight and at ruck time, and Namibia, were his lot.
Frankie Sheahan: A replacement role against the Namibians would have been something, but after all his troubles in getting here never had a minute of match-day involvement. A big win on the track at ladies day in Melbourne was probably the highlight of his tour.
John Hayes: Oh how we prayed for his return. Sub against Romania, ever-present thereafter, his value in the setpieces was highlighted by his honest-as-the-day-is-long performances until the French scrum had him and the rest of the Irish pack backpedalling. Looking around at all the other rumbling, heavyweight props, couldn't more be made of him with the ball in hand?
Simon Best: Eight minutes against Namibia makes him honorary sixth member of Terrigal Five.
Malcolm O'Kelly: Started and finished every game. Retained his high standards in the lineout, where he remains world-class, but fell short of bust-a-gut levels of performance which made him players' player of the year last season. Such is his talent, he's capable of more.
Paul O'Connell: Played every minute. As good as anyone in the tournament at lineout time, O'Connell fearlessly put himself about in the tackle, at ruck time and with the ball in hand. He needs to curb his over-zealous rucking to avoid earning a reputation, but undoubtedly one of Ireland's three best players at the tournament.
Donncha O'Callaghan: Surprisingly left kicking his heels again last Sunday, the sum total of his action were two-minute and 10-minute cameos as blood-bin replacements for O'Kelly in Romanian and Australian games, conceding two penalties and making one magnificent lineout steal for Humphreys' drop goal attempt in the latter. One for the future definitely.
Gary Longwell: His body, creaking in latter years, finally gave way, sidelining him early on in training and bestowing upon him reluctant membership of the Terrigal Five.
Victor Costello: Trademark try against Romania, tried hard to rumble in the slugfest against Argentina, where he was effective close-in. But the French saw him coming, when the scrum was no platform, and games on the back foot aren't his forte.
Alan Quinlan: His third try of the tournament, gutsily taken against Argentina, was the one which ultimately delivered the cherished quarter-final before his tournament was cruelly cut short. Missed immediately.
Simon Easterby: His ability in the air added another string to Ireland's lineout and his work-rate was immense against Argentina and, especially, Australia. But there was a tendency to give away penalties in defence at the breakdown, especially when he was marginalised by the rampant French back row.
Anthony Foley: Didn't finish either of his two starts against Romania and Australia, he suffered for an injury-bedevilled build-up and tournament; three dropped balls overshadoweda big defensive effort against Australia, which was then missed when he was dropped for the first time in four years against the French.
Keith Gleeson: Dropped in favour of a slugfest against Los Pumas, when Ireland's ruck ball took an age, his return (coupled with Paddy O'Brien's refereeing against the tackler) coincided with quicker ruck ball against Australia, and Phil Waugh's anonymity would have given him pleasure. Worked hard against France.
Eric Miller: Did everything he could in two-try performance against Namibia and will have been justifiably more frustrated than most to have been confined to a replacement role in the subsequent three games, when having limited impact.
David Wallace: Called up as late replacement for Quinlan prior to Australian game, but predictably he wasn't used. Watching Miller run on to the pitch against Australia immediately one wondered whether Wallace's ball-carrying might have been a better weapon. Lacking fire-power anyhow, excluding him remains mystifying.
