Ireland star Aoife Wafer feels she will "never get over" September's heartbreaking World Cup exit at the hands of France but is determined to help lead her nation back to the pinacle of the world stage again.
Ireland led Les Bleus 13-0 at half-time but couldn't hold on as they eventually went down 18-13 at Sandy Park in Exeter, ending their World Cup adventure.
France star Axelle Berthoumieu was cited by World Rugby in the aftermath of the game after she appeared to bite Wafer on the arm during the game. Berthoumieu was hit with a 12-game ban that was subsequently reduced to nine.
In conversation with Jacqui Hurley on RTÉ Radio One's Inside Sport, Wafer acknowledged how difficult the result had been to come to terms with. "I got home and I don't think I left the house by myself because I went straight back into rehab. I hate taking breaks - I don't do well with breaks," Wafer said.
"So straight back into work, back into trying to get myself right and just get back onto the field and there were moments where I was like 'I'm just gonna get the shopping delivered to the house. I don't want to go to the shop.'
"I didn't want to have people stop me and be like 'oh, I'm sorry about the game'. Because I was like 'I just can't talk about the game right now'.
"There is that moment where you blame yourself because it's yes, I've done all this work to get back. But there does come that question of 'Did I do enough for the team?' And I'm sure I'm not the only person to even think that, but it is a tough one to take. It's probably, to be fair, one that will live with me for a very long time.
"I don't think I'll ever get over that game to be honest. Who knows, like maybe we have a couple more World Cups left in us."
The fallout from the bite incident may have made the headlines after the game, but coach Scott Bemand - and Wafer herself - were keen to ensure the clash wasn't dwelt on for too long in the Irish changing room.
"You just have to keep playing rugby," Wafer told Inside Sport. "The game's not going to stop and wait for us to keep complaining. If it's not going to get checked, then it's 'What moment can we win next?' Even at 78, 79, right up until the 80 minute, we were like 'We can still win this'."
Appearing at a World Cup in a green jersey was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for the Wexford woman.
"When I was a kid, I picked up a rugby ball and straight away I was like, 'Nah, I want to play for Ireland'. I didn't even know there was a women's team when I was six. It was like, 'Okay, I wanna play for Ireland. I'll just play for the men's team.
"That was just the thing I had. I was very lucky that my parents were both like 'We're gonna show her a pathway of how she can actually play for Ireland. And they brought me to all of these games in Ashbourne, anywhere Ireland were playing, I was there."
Catch 'Inside Sport' every evening from 6-7pm Monday to Friday on RTÉ Radio One.
