Toyota City (Japan) (AFP)
Italy's Rugby World Cup finishes "horribly", Coach Conor O'Shea regretted after the cancellation of his team's last game against New Zealand as a result of Typhoon Hagibis passed Saturday in Japan, and synonymous with elimination.
Hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini bows out of a canceled match.
"It 's really, really hard to cash out," O'Shea responded after World Rugby' s unprecedented decision to cancel two World Cup matches on Saturday, England - France in Yokohama and New Zealand - Italy in Toyota.
To hope to reach the quarter-finals, Italy had to beat New Zealand for the first time, without any bonus from the latter. Italians will not have the opportunity to try the feat.
"I saw the reaction of the players after training and it was horrible because these boys gave their lives for Italian rugby and their World Cup ended on a training ground, instead of the stadium. "said O'Shea.
"For a World Cup, not finishing on the pitch, facing fans in stands and those in front of their television in Italy, it's a dark day for all of us and it's hard to express," added the Irishman. , particularly disappointed for Ghiraldini, who had announced an end to his international career at the end of the tournament (104 caps).
"It's very moving, especially for Leonardo Ghiraldini, who missed his last chance to play in the Italian jersey.However, your international career ends after training, it's hard to cash out," O'Shea insisted. . "I feel bad for Sergio (Parisse, captain) and the whole team."
Almost no one bet on a qualification of Italy, crushed 49-3 by South Africa, against the All Blacks. But "you never know what can happen on land," said O'Shea. "We had a chance to qualify, I'm not saying we would have beaten them, but we wanted to finish on the pitch."
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