Is there a new start needed, a clean-out of players, flanker David Wallace was asked. Loaded with inference, the Irish players have been fielding similar inquiries since the first unsteady steps of this World Cup were taken against Namibia.

Wallace's face didn't break into anger or annoyance. That has long passed. Fatigue, confusion and the need to leave this month behind were again the most enduring images and thoughts of the Irish team as they left Parc des Princes last night.

"It's hard to know so soon after the game. I'm sure there will be a lot written about change but I don't know if that is the right thing," said Wallace.

"The right guys were picked for the 30-man squad. It is hard to know where you go from here but I suppose there will be a rethink. It's just too soon.

"I wish I knew why we hadn't performed to what we had expected and what the public had expected back home. The reality is that we didn't perform and as to the why, I'm not sure I can answer that."

Cradling his daughter and with perspiration still dripping off his head, Leinster playmaker Felipe Contepomi reflected some of his Argentina side's glory back on to his Dublin team-mates.

"It is difficult to play against the best back five in the world, or one of the best," said the Argentinian. "They showed when they had the proper ball, O'Driscoll showed his class, and D'Arcy and Geordan Murphy and Denis (Hickie) and Shaggy (Shane Horgan).

"But it all starts in the forwards and I think our forwards had a magnificent game and they beat the Irish pack up front. That gave us a good platform to set up drop goals, penalties or tries."

There was evidently a lot of sledging going on between Contepomi and several of the Irish players during the game. "They came to talk to me. It is always the same three people," explained Contepomi.

"I try not to get involved. If they talk, I won't stay shut up obviously. It's things that stay inside the pitch. They know why they do it. I don't know.

"Our game plan was to score as many points as we could. I think that a score by any means: penalties, tries, drop goals, whatever.

"This World Cup is showing there are very good defences and sometimes it's useless to try and go . . . for me Ireland have one of the best pairs of centres in the world, and one of the best back threes."

For winger Denis Hickie it was the last time he will line out in an Irish shirt. The Leinster player spoke of the surprise of actually losing the match. Never mind four tries. "We weren't expecting this defeat," he said.

"Now we have to make the effort to get back into the game we used to have. We didn't have many quick balls and we didn't manage to build many phases."

In terms of the team's form, he, too, was at a loss to explain the nose dive that has taken place: "I don't know why we lost our rugby in five months. We haven't performed well but it's hard to say why. It's very frustrating."

Prop Marcus Horan was also frustrated by the quality of the Argentinian pack. "This is a very frustrating team to play against. They play very hard on the breakdown and today we gave them too many penalties.

"We chased and chased and chased. It was a tough match to play in," said Horan.

"We are very disappointed. There was more kicking and chasing in this World Cup than in any other world cups, but that's the way it is."