One of the more disappointing realisations of Joe Schmidt's 31 man squad announcement was one which did not come as a surprise to anyone. Gordon D'Arcy was out. With that, the 35 year old's storied international career was at an end. In reality, it was a unfitting end to a career that deserved more.
But, as D'Arcy would be the first to admit, the World Cup is no place for sentiment and it was no surprise when the Leinster centre was absent from the list. Nonetheless, it's still worth marking the fact that a true legend of Irish rugby is on his way out.
For his part, D'Arcy has penned an article in today's Irish Times explaining how he feels about the fact that a 16 year international career is at an end. And in keeping with the tone of that career, the article itself is suitably excellent.
First of all, D'Arcy addresses just how disappointed he is to be left out of Schmidt's squad with some incredible honesty.
Have you seen the size of the three quarters I’ve been tackling since 2011? This will be the tournament of many Jonah Lomus. The game has moved on. Again. I have not, but remain sanguine about the non-sporting trade route(s) I’m embarking upon.
There's no doubt the game has moved on since D'Arcy made his debut in 1999 but he's surely being a bit over-modest to suggest that his game hasn't developed apace in the intervening years. One last World Cup may have been a stretch too far but we're certainly not buying that he is that far off the pace.
Nonetheless, D'Arcy goes on and if he is on the lookout for a new job then there'll certainly be plenty of media outlets keen on showcasing his writing ability, if only because it may mean more stories about Trevor Brennan.
To demonstrate just how much the game has changed, D'Arcy tells the story of how, when he just broke into the Ireland squad, Warren Gatland was determined to bring the squad together by ensuring everyone knew the national anthem off to a T.
That was something which the Trevor Brennan was very much on board with. And if it meant being able to bring a 19 year fresh out of Clongowes into the Brennan line of thinking then all the better.
There I was, 19 years old and fresh out of boarding school, strolling down the hotel corridor after training when Brennan turns the corner.
Not another soul around. How’s it going Trevor? He looks down, grabs my throat and slams me up against the wall. Sing Amhrán na Bhfiann!
D'Arcy tried to uncomfortably laugh it off but Brennan was having none of it. It took D'Arcy to begin welling up before Brennan took pity on him and let him go.
We may not like the fact that we won't see D'Arcy in an Ireland shirt again but, if it means he has more time to share some Trevor Brennan stories like this, then it will certainly soften the blow.
