Jean-Marié Stander, wife of Ireland and Munster backrow CJ Stander, has described the coverage of the Irish rugby team's exit from the World Cup as "disrespectful".
On Saturday, for the seventh time, Ireland fell at the quarter-final stage of the tournament, losing heavily to New Zealand in Tokyo.
It was a game in which Ireland made numerous unforced errors and never looked near the necessary level to beat the All Blacks.
Even before that expected loss, Ireland had performed far below expectations, especially in defeat to Japan during the pool stage.
"As if it isn’t gutting enough for the players’ & coaches’ hard work & sacrifices over 4+ years not to be reflected in their overall performance this year... i find the media reaction from “our very own” quite disrespectful... talk about kicking someone when they’re down," she wrote on Twitter on Monday.
All the incredible achievements over 3 years instantly overshadowed by a poor (RWC) season.Athletes don’t go out trying to underperform,they’re human & with that comes failure,I suppose its too much for some to understand the demands of performing at such high levels consistently.
In response to criticism on her husband during Saturday's game, she hit back at one fan who suggested he had gone missing.
"CJ with the most carries & second most metres made of the Irish team. Most tackles (of everyone on the pitch) made with none missed ?! Given it doesn’t show on the scoreboard but its too easy to say someone is missing when the whole team is underperforming."
CJ Stander started four games for Ireland in the tournament, more than would have been expected due to injuries in the backrow. He also came off the bench against Russia.
Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
