Ireland boss Andy Farrell says he's completely over the World Cup and looking forward to the evolution of his team.
The defending Six Nations champions bowed out at the quarter-final stage in France last year, once again failing to reach the last four.
Having beaten reigning and eventual 2023 champions South Africa in the pool stages, Ireland lost 28-24 to New Zealand. They begin their campaign against France in Marseille on 2 February.
Many of the players have spoken about their post-World Cup blues but Farrell was intent on looking ahead to the next iteration of the Ireland squad, moving forward without captain Johnny Sexton for the first time in 15 years.
"I'm over it," the 48-year-old (below) told RTÉ Sport at the tournament launch in Dublin.
"I don't buy into that [talk] neither: is it bittersweet and everything that went on as far as the feeling within the World Cup.
"I was unbelievably proud of how we connected with our fans and did it together.
"That, for me, continues by how we get back on the horse and I'm not saying that will translate to another big [win] in Marseille, I'm not saying that.
"We're talking about being proud about how we go about our business, to want to keep evolving our game.
"The journey continues.
"If you look at what we've got, first game in Marseille, unbelievable stadium, unbelievable atmosphere
"A lot of the Irish who had flights for the semi-final, I heard a lot of them transferred it to Marseille so they're expecting a performance from us.
"We've got to stand up to responsibilities like that. Again, it doesn't guarantee us being successful.
"We've got to show fight and then the rest of the Six Nations is ahead of us.
"You look at what we've got after that, the trip to South Africa and two games against South Africa, it doesn't really get any better as an Irish management, as an Irish player or as an Irish fan."
Ireland will begin their preparations this week before spending a week in Portugal.
Farrell said that the first thing on the agenda would be a clear-the-deck meeting with the players.
"Yeah, first meeting this afternoon, where we’ll be open and honest," he said.
"We are open and honest in the sense that any type of victory in the past, you make sure you use every opportunity to grow and try to understand it together.
"It’s the only way you move one, by addressing things and we’ll certainly be doing that over the next couple of weeks."
Farrell will take on the Six Nations with 26 of the squad that travelled to France, while Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien are injured and Sexton and Keith Earls have retired.
"You look at the squad we have picked, over the last couple of years we have capped a lot of players," Farrell said.
"Some of those players [have] under 10 caps or so, some have not been involved in the squad over the last 12-18 months, so trying to grow the squad in that sense is pretty important.
"Is this a new start? It’s not, because of everything we have been through.
"We want to continue to grow, we want to continue to evolve our game, and you don’t do that by just cutting the legs off it and going again.
"Competition for places is premium, and it has to stay that way, so this is the start of a new Six Nations.
"I don’t buy into the four-year cycle that tends to come around when World Cups are finished."
Last week Farrell named Peter O'Mahony (above, left) as captain.
He said of the 34-year-old: "There are a few candidates because we have got some great leadership within the group, and that will continue to grow and Peter will be at the heart of that to help it.
"There are certain people that make the room feel right. It is pretty important around the place, and certainly on match-day, that you have that type of person in the dressing room, and Peter is certainly one of those.
"Just being himself and helping others to grow. I know he will do the country proud."
