Hi °C | Lo °C It was heartbreak for Ireland's rugby fans last night as hopes for World Cup glory lay in tatters. Ireland's crunch clash with Argentina in the old Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris ended with a 30-15 defeat - ending hopes that Ireland would scrape through to the quarter finals.
In the final Pool D showdown, the Ireland team needed to beat Argentina by more than seven points and four tries to pull them back from the brink. They finished with just two tries and a deficit of 15 points.
Ulster flanker Neil Best, scrum-half Isaac Boss and hooker Rory Best all came off the bench at the end of the match, but couldn't help to pull back the widening score.
Fans had high hopes of Ireland doing well in the tournament. It was the best-prepared Ireland team ever going into a World Cup and they had enjoyed a successful Six Nations contest.
But sheer disappointment was reflected in the faces of the Ireland team - and the many fans who travelled to support them at yesterday's match.
The final score brought dismay as fans realised that Ireland was out of the tournament.
It is one of three Six Nations teams to head home early.
Many Ireland fans who bought tickets to the glamour quarter final tie against tournament favourites New Zealand in Cardiff - in the hope that Ireland would make it through - have been deeply disappointed.
Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan will also be in the spotlight after this humiliating exit. Having just signed a new four-year contract, fans and pundits alike are expected to be calling for his head.
Meanwhile, Ulster rugby star Simon Best, who missed the match following a heart scare, has revealed he is battling a serious heart condition.
The 29-year-old prop said he hadn't realised the heart rhythm irregularity was so serious.
The Poyntzpass sportsman, whose brother Rory was on the bench for yesterday's crucial match, will not return to Dublin until Tuesday.
Argentina will now stay in Paris to face Scotland, while France will take on the might of the All Blacks in Cardiff.
