• Irish head into crucial Pool D match in Cardiff without injured full-back
• Squad shocked as Payne set to miss rest of tournament with foot problemProfessional athletes are like amps in a rock band: either revved up to the max or so quiet they create only a disconcerting hum. Ireland’s rugby players,who fade into their final World Cup group match against France in Cardiff on Sunday without Jared Payne, who will miss the rest of the tournament with a foot injury, or are very much on the bottom register.
There is much at stake. The winners of Pool D play Argentina in the quarter-finals in the same stadium next Sunday; the losers salvage New Zealand there on Saturday. Tommy Bowe described it as “a massive blow” when the news of Payne’s withdrawal broke on Saturday morning. Related: Ireland secure World Cup progess with laboured win over Italy Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com