The Ireland camp will be in full-on Six Nations mode next week and there'll be little time to reflect on the World Cup exit.
So, as much for the fans as anyone, and as management addressed the media for the first time since head coach Andy Farrell and his backroom team reviewed the quarter-final loss to New Zealand last Monday, the questioned was asked: why did Ireland lose to the All Blacks?
"We’ve been very good at taking opportunities and making sides pay for opportunities they have given us," defence coach Simon Easterby told RTÉ Sport when asked about the four-point loss in Paris.
"We probably didn’t fire enough shots and make the most of the opportunities in that game. And also, the defence has been strong, it was strong throughout the World Cup but we conceded three tries in a game.
"And New Zealand are one team who have the ability to score from anywhere.
"They did that but probably didn’t have to work as hard for their scores as we would have liked.
"There are lots of other things, individual work-ons etc.
"But like any game, you reflect, and sometimes you get beaten and you’ve done everything in your power. I think we were closer to that, we weren’t far off.
"We were a hair’s breadth away from scoring at the end. And fine, fine margins.
"The maul was really effective, we destroyed them at times in that area. We got on the wrong side of some refereeing decisions but at the end of the day, it was 28-24, very little in it.
"We can always look back and reflect upon how we could have done better, on both sides of the ball.
"So there’s definitely stuff we think we could have, certainly from my area, prevented New Zealand from getting momentum.
"They always managed to stay ahead of us. We needed to make sure we could stop them scoring so we could get ahead of them when we got the opportunity."
Later in the same press conference, the former Ireland flanker was asked if they were able to pinpoint why they didn’t fire enough shots.
He said: "I wouldn't say 'firing shots’, maybe that wasn't the right term, more that we’ve looked at it this week with Faz [Andy Farrell] and Catts [attack coach Mike Catt] and we had opportunities to go and punish New Zealand more and we didn't do that.
"Certainly, we scored points, no doubt, and I still think if we hadn't conceded one more try then we would have won, obviously.
"I just think we were a little bit too easy to score against.
"In terms of the other side the ball in attack, there were just a couple of opportunities that we feel if we'd have been in a slightly better positioned, worked a little bit harder to get into position, we would have taken those opportunities to score.
"That was what I was trying to get at, not firing shots. We did that, and we went after New Zealand. We went 13-0 down and we came back, kept going after them but just let them get ahead again and that was the difference.
"There will always be opportunities that you feel like that we missed out on and that's what we reflected on this week. I wouldn't say we didn't fire any shots."
Ireland are currently in Quita do Lago, Portugal as they build up towards Friday night’s opening Guinness Six Nations clash against France in Marseille (8pm).
The training panel consists of 37 players in total with Leinster out-half Sam Prendergast and Munster prop Oli Jager two of those involved for the first time.
"They've come in and fitted in really well," said Easterby.
"Sam was obviously well known to us from his time with the 20s, we trained against him a little bit the last couple of years, when Richie has joined us for training, and he's been excellent this week.
"He's fitted in really well, has a good skillset and has a brilliant way about him. He's just desperate to learn.
"Oli is a little bit older compared to Sam, he's on the other end of the spectrum but he's a big human being, he's a big man and is desperate to learn.
"He's come from a great successful environment with what he did over in Crusaders and in which he built really good habits for himself and we can see that, not just in his all-round game but his set piece work is excellent.
"I think the fact that Munster have been able to get hold of someone like him is outstanding because he adds another dimension and adds real quality depth to that position.
"I think at the moment they're in for experience, to see what we're about and us finding out a bit more about them and that was always the initial way we were looking at it.
"But like in the past guys have come in in that situation and have really impressed and they have stuck around, so we know that there will be injuries throughout the championship and that we'll have to dig deeper than just the 23 picked for next weekend, that we'll have to dig beyond the numbers that we picked originally.
"Sam and Oli in particular, and Cian [Prendergast] who has come in this week, have all trained really well and we know more about them now, which is exactly why we've done this."
The 48-year-old also gave a positive update on captain Peter O’Mahony, who had come into camp nursing some bumps and bruises.
He said: "Peter O'Mahony is training really well, he has come in in great form and no bother on him today.
"We trained and it wasn't full contact but it was quick, there was scrummaging and mauling, all of that was done and as far as I'm aware he's come through with flying colours so he's in good shape."
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