Under the former England assistant coach, Ireland’s progress from the nadir of their failure to make it to New Zealand three years ago and all that followed has been quicker than most dared to expect.
Qualification for this tournament with more than a year to spare thanks to a third-place finish in the 2024 Six Nations followed by wins over Australia and the Black Ferns in the same calendar year represented a rapid turnaround.
Centre Aoife Dalton described Sunday’s effort against France when compared to the performances of two years ago as like “chalk and cheese”, yet this was an Ireland team that clearly felt they were ready to take the next step with a big scalp on the biggest stage.
“We felt like we had it,” said a crestfallen Dalton.
“Saying all that, we can be proud of what we did out there. I can’t pick a player who didn’t leave everything out there so we can definitely be proud of that performance. It’s just going to hurt for a while.”
Dalton is just 22. With Wafer, who was sensational in her first Test appearance since April, the same age and fly-half Dannah O’Brien a year younger, there is a nucleus of a side that will be expected to drive things forward not just across the next four-year cycle but beyond.
Indeed, of Sunday’s starting line-up, only winger Amee-Leigh Costigan and lock Sam Monaghan have celebrated their 30th birthdays.
“It is a young group,” said Monaghan, the Gloucester-Hartpury lock who returned from 13 months on the sidelines to lead Ireland at the tournament.
“You know, only one player [Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald] out of 32 has experienced a World Cup before.
“If you look back two years ago, we were competing in WX3, and we were very, very close to winning a World Cup quarter-final there.
“We’re gutted, we’re heartbroken. We know we could have had that game, but we’ll hold our heads high, rebuild and go again.”
