CJ Stander's wife has launched a staunch defence of the Irish rugby team after Joe Schmidt's side crashed out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage.
The South Africa-born forward was part of the Ireland side that were thrashed 46-14 by New Zealand on Saturday morning, meaning that their wait to reach the semi-finals of the competition will go on for at least another four years.
Jean-Marie Stander, who gave birth to the couple's first child in August, took to social media on Monday to support her husband and his teammates - claiming that the performances this year overshadowed their hard work and achievements over the past four years.
"Athletes don’t go out trying to under-perform, they’re human and with that comes failure. I suppose it's too much for some to understand the demands of performing at such high levels consistently," she said on Twitter.
"As if it isn’t gutting enough for the players and coaches’ hard work and sacrifices over four plus years not to be reflected in their overall performance this year.
"All the incredible achievements over three years (have been) instantly overshadowed by a poor Rugby World Cup (and) season."
The agonising loss over the weekend ended a miserable year for Ireland that included a record defeat to England in August and Six Nations disappointment.
It comes after a momentous 2018 saw Ireland secure an historic Grand Slam, a successful tour in Australia as well as a first win over the All Blacks on Irish soil last November.
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