We are devastated: Henry

Editor

Ireland flanker Chris Henry revealed that his team is devastated to have let down their fans following their loss against Argentina in the quarter-finals on Sunday.

After being 17-0 down, the Irish staged a comeback of sorts towards the end of the first half but los Pumas turned on the class in the final forty to romp home to a convincing win.

"As a players group we're devastated because of all of the fans we have and all the people that were there today and the people who have travelled over the last few weeks," said Henry.

"We worked hard to come back obviously and in the second half I thought the momentum was turning for us. Unfortunately we were beaten by a much better side today.

"When you invest so much time and effort and see what everyone else has given as well all the players, it’s a tough day but that's sport, the way it is."

Ireland had injuries in key positions, including first-choice captain Paul O'Connell, flanker Sean O'Brien, pivot Johnny Sexton and utility back Jared Payne.

Prop Cian Healy indicated that they too felt the sting of the loss as much as they players on the field. 

"It hurts that any of the lads weren't there," he said. 

"It was a valiant effort by the lads there, we hit tackles hard and we worked pretty hard.

"Obviously it's devastating to have the lads missing from injury and Seanie, but we are a team that's adaptable and can work to that. It just wasn't a good performance from us."