When Ireland was announced as the hosts for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup, there was hope that Tom Tierney's side could at least at match the fourth-place finish in 2013.
Two years after the hosts were confirmed, Ireland finished in eighth place, after losing to Wales in Belfast. Unbeaten against the Welsh in the Six Nations since 2011, the hosts fell to their worst World Cup finish since their eighth-place result in 2006.
The team lost 27-17, to end the campaign with three successive defeats, and came hours after the injured prop Ruth O'Reilly revealed the problems the team had in the buildup to the tournament.
FT at the Kingspan.
Ireland 17-27 Wales.
Ireland's #WRWC2017 is over as they miss out on automatic qualification for the next WRWC! pic.twitter.com/gVyWR2qGrP— eir Sport (@eirSport) August 26, 2017
The loss means that Ireland may now have to qualify for the 2021 tournament. Only the top seven teams from the 2014 tournament qualified for Ireland 2017.
Ireland led 7-0 in the early stages of the game, but never retook the lead after trailing 10-7 just before the break. Wales dominated the second half, and had a 15-point lead on two-separate occasions before Ireland scored a late consolation try.
Paula Fitzpatrick, Lindsay Peat and Katie Fitzhenry scored Ireland's tries on a day the team will want to forget quickly. Although only three years ago, it feels like far longer since the team were competing in a World Cup semi-final in France.
