Scott Grix was left 'devastated' after Fiji eliminated Ireland from the World Cup with a 30-14 victory in the semi-final qualifier.
Winger reveals anguish after World Cup exit
Winger Scott Grix admitted he was 'devastated' after Fiji eliminated Ireland with a 30-14 victory at the semi-final qualifying stage of the World Cup.
The Irish have defied all expectations in the competition and a win over their Pacific Island opponents would have seen them 80 minutes away from a place in the final.
But, with a semi-final clash against favourites Australia as the prize at Skilled Park, Ireland rarely looked like contenders as Fiji turned on the style in the second half.
Grix, a try-scorer in the 30-14 defeat, told
Sky Sports 2: "We have to take it on the chin.
Proud
"It was a tough game, you can put your finger on where it went wrong but one-in all-in and we should have been better than that - I'm devastated."
Damien Blanch, Grix's Australia-born team-mate, added: "The boys put everything into tonight, everyone is so gutted.
"Everyone wrote us off so to get where we've got, everyone is so proud but we really wanted that semi-final place."
Ireland coach Andy Kelly admitted his side had been outclassed, saying: "I just feel like the guys tackled the whole game - 75 per cent of the game was defensive effort.
"They kept fighting to the end but there was probably not enough smart football out there."
