BOTH Irish teams at the world seniors in South Korea exited the competition at the quarter-finals stage yesterday.

The women had a hell of a battle with the Japanese team, with Irish skip facing a tricky draw to the pin for the win after the Japanese skip’s last stone, which was supposed to be a guard, crept into the house to sit just behind the pin. Dale’s stone was a foot too heavy and, despite frantic sweeping to curl it over on top of the shot, rubbed off it and to the side.

The game had been carefully managed by the Irish to ensure last stone in the last end. But the first end looked like going horribly wrong when the Japanese, who had hammer, looked like getting four. Thankfully the good hitting skills of the Irish, with a crucial last double take-out from Dale changed the end and the Japanese decided to blank. They then took a single in the second end

After taking a two in the third and forcing the single in the fourth, the Irish blanked the fifth and took a well worked two in the sixth. In the seventh, the plan was to force again but a couple of missed hits left Japan an easy draw for two.

In the last, Japan got guards up that the Irish could not get rid of but the path to the four foot was open at the end. Unfortunately, the Japanese got in there first, albeit unintentionally.

The Irish men on the next sheet came off worst in a bruising encounter with Canada.