Despite losing to a last-minute goal against France at the World Cup on Sunday, Ireland’s men have topped their classification pool and will play off for a ninth-place finish in the tournament against New Zealand or Pakistan next Friday. Whatever the outcome of that game, it will be the men’s highest ever World Cup placing. Jeremy Duncan gave Ireland a 39th-minute lead against the French, but they levelled two minutes later and took the points through Timothée Clement at the death. Ireland’s women went down to a poor 2-1 defeat by Scotland in their classification pool on Saturday, Charlotte Watson getting the winner early in the second half after Emily Kealy had levelled for Ireland shortly before half-time. Ireland must beat the United States on Monday afternoon if they are to have any hope of making the ninth-place playoff.