Classy Contepomi puts the boot in

International Matches/Argentina 22 Ireland 20:In the final analysis, the exotically named Estadio Brigadier Estanislao Lopez del Barrio Centenario in Santa Fe will be recorded as a pleasant, once-off footnote in history. Nonetheless, it maintained an extraordinary pattern that will probably be maintained next Saturday in Buenos Aires and, even more likely, in another critical World Cup meeting on September 30th in Paris.

For the third meeting in succession there was less than three points between the sides - literally, a kick. That the decisive kick should be landed by Felipe Contepomi was appropriate, for in a match featuring 29 not-so-good, good and very good players, the Leinster and Puma maestro was a class apart. He always looked the man most likely to win the game, and so it proved with a brilliant, nerveless endgame.

At times it seemed as if he had little inside him and even less outside, but he pulled rabbits out of the hat to provide his side with their likeliest source of points and, having kept them in touch with four penalties, conjured the try of the match and then landed a drop goal to nail the victory.

He has a touch of the star about him; he has a short fuse and knows how to play to the gallery. No doubt some traditionalists don't warm to this, but Contepomi is one of the players you'd pay to watch, because he tears up the manual, is always liable to do something off the cuff and brings as much fun to proceedings as he clearly has himself.

He was, simply, the difference between the sides and, conceivably, come September 30th he will be the only one of the 30 who started here who will line up for the kick-off in Parc des Princes. He returns to Dublin for his graduation as a doctor and a deserved holiday with his reputation as an Argentinian hero enhanced.

He appears not to be entirely trusted as an outhalf in his native land, but it's hard to see how Marcelo Loffreda can ignore Contepomi's abilities as playmaker. The more prosaic but dead-eyed French-based goalkicker Federico Todeschini or Saturday's back-up, Juan Fernandez Miranda, will probably replace him but at a stroke Contepomi's absence probably makes Ireland favourites to win the second Test and tie the series.

That may make the World Cup credentials of those in a much changed Irish line-up look more compelling but that ought not to necessarily be the case.

Competing well physically in the forward exchanges, where the scrums went well and the line-outs were even better, Ireland had better control of the ball and looked the likelier winners for long stretches, many players underlining their claims.

First off, you have to draw a line in the sand with the Pumas and leading the physicality were Jerry Flannery, Simon Best, Neil Best and Jamie Heaslip. Revelling in a first start since last summer's tour to New Zealand and Australia, Flannery ran hard and threw himself into the fray fearlessly with some big hits, and inched closer to reclaiming the number two jersey.

Much the same could be said of Neil Best and Heaslip, who showed well against the outstanding Juan Manuel Leguizamon, while Simon Best put himself about and the scrums held up well. Malcolm O'Kelly dispelled rumours of his demise. Imperious in the air at lineout time and restarts, he also handled skilfully before undoing some of his good work with a couple of penalties.

Trevor Hogan, before falling victim to cramp in 20-plus temperatures on a hard pitch, worked with typical honesty. And though less prominent, Keith Gleeson defended well and made himself a nuisance at the breakdown.

In truth, few if any played badly, and there are going to be some desperately unlucky cases, in the back row especially, though if there were two big disappointments they involved discipline and back play. Ireland conceded 13 penalties to nine, and that killed them, while the setpiece moves in the backs, usually involving Paddy Wallace running laterally and centres or blindside wings on cutbacks, frequently ended with the ball put to deck.

In an error-strewn game - each side made 21 turnovers - Ireland were denied continuity as play became bogged down in the middle third.

Isaac Boss was the more complete of the two scrumhalves on view, yet his tendency to take a step and a look continues to slow his service. Wallace look composed but seemed to crowd the space outside him with those failed "moves", and save for some bustling by Andrew Trimble, the midfielders failed to shine.

The back three got little attacking ball, though Gavin Duffy was supreme under aerial bombardment from Contepomi.

Even so, Brian Carney's star continues to shine. He picked off an intercept try almost before Contepomi attempted a skip pass with the astuteness of someone who looks to have this as a trademark, and generally did well.

There were three debutants off the bench. Barry Murphy and Tomás O Leary were confined to cameos while the career of the callow but enormously strong Tony Buckley took a sharp upward curve.

Admittedly it was a match of few scrums, while it was indicative of Ireland's desire to keep Contepomi out of range that Argentina had 25 throws to 13; Ireland stealing seven and losing one - though a potential steal by Mick O'Driscoll was knocked forward by a team-mate in the preamble to the decisive drop goal.

It was also a feather in the pack's cap that they were in the process of completing a 15-metre lineout maul when Lyndon Bray awarded a penalty try.

Ultimately, given Ireland had the luxury of a 10-point lead after 10 minutes, they should have gone on and won. That they lost was largely down to one man. But Contepomi was different class.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6 mins: Wallace pen 0-3; 9: Carney try, Wallace con 0-10; 15: Contepomi pen 3-10; 39: Contepomi pen 6-10: 46: Contepomi pen 9-10; 51: penalty try, Wallace con 9-17; 58: Contepomi pen 12-17; 74: Senillosa try, Contepomi con 19-17; 77: Duffy pen 19-20; 79: Contepomi drop goal 22-20.

ARGENTINA: B Stortoni (Bristol); T de Vedia (Saracens), H Senillosa (Hindu), M Avramovic (Worcester), F Leonelli (Glasgow); F Contepomi (Leinster, capt), N Vergallo (Jockey Club); M Ayerza (Leicester), A Vernet Basualdo (Alumni), S Gonzalez Bonorino (Capitolina); E Lozada (CASI), P Bouza (Leeds); M Durand (Montpellier), J Fernandez-Lobbe (Sale), J Manuel Lequizamon (London Irish). Replacements: G Fessia (Cordoba) for Durand (73 mins), P Cardinalli (CASI) Bonorino (78 mins). Not used: M Cortese (Northampton), J Stuart (CASI), L Lopez Fleming (Edinburgh), J Fernandez Miranda (Hindu), H Agulla (Hindu).

IRELAND: G Duffy (Connacht); B Carney (Munster), A Trimble (Ulster), K Lewis (Leinster), T Bowe (Ulster); P Wallace (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster); B Young (Ulster), J Flannery (Munster), S Best (Ulster); T Hogan (Leinster), M O'Kelly (Leinster); N Best (Ulster), K Gleeson (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: G Murphy (Leicester) for Duffy (13-20 mins) and for Wallace (63 mins), M O'Driscoll (Munster) for Hogan (23-25 mins and 70 mins), T Buckley (Munster) for Young (66 mins), S Ferris (Ulster) for Gleeson (73 mins), T O'Leary (Munster) for Bowe, B Murphy (Munster) for K Lewis (both 79 mins).

Referee: L Bray (New Zealand).