Irish game plan caught Argentina cold

Joe Schmidt does warm, on occasion, to the old compare and contrast question. In November 2013, Schmidt's first formal month as Ireland coach, the All Blacks were rattled to an inch of Richie McCaw's near flawless record as their captain coming down with an almighty crash.

They survived and the Dublin crowd sloped into the winter night.

Now, two years later, South Africa then Fiji and now Argentina have been sliced up with plenty to spare. All done by 36 players and blooding Bundee Aki, James Ryan, Andrew Porter (with the squad despite togging out for Leinster on Friday night), Jacob Stockdale, Chris Farrell and now Adam Byrne.

"They surprised us in the way they played," said Los Pumas coach Daniel Hourcade. "In the last two or three years they didn't play like that, and today they played a lot from their own half and wide. It is a style we're used to because the southern hemisphere sides play that way, but we didn't expect Ireland to play that way.

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“That’s credit to coach Joe Schmidt.”

Schmidt, as is his wont, contested the assertion that Ireland still like it up the jumper.

“I think we have always played a couple of different games. I’m surprised Daniel said that.

“I think he’s done a super job with his team but if he didn’t anticipate what we did tonight . . . we want to mix our game up. There is a real licence to play if the opportunity is there, play to the space.”

This is the halfway point in Schmidt's second World Cup cycle as Ireland coach. He took the job from Declan Kidney in June 2013 and first sent a team into the Aviva stadium that November. Australia whipped them, New Zealand agonisingly escaped with a narrow win.

Which squad is in better shape?

“It’s tough to compare. In 2013 I was learning more than the players. I was trying to work out the differences between test match rugby and provincial rugby and those very small windows you get to work with players if you are going to develop them.”

He’s getting there.

“I certainly remember what happened [against the All Blacks] but I was a little dazed and confused. I felt punch drunk at the end of that first November series. I’m not saying I feel different now.

“One of the best things about this group is I feel the experienced players helping the younger players through.”

Schmidt went on to commend Rob Kearney’s “scything runs” and fielding but saved the rarest of unqualified compliments for Chris Farrell.

“I thought Chris Farrell had a super game,” said Schmidt of the 24-year-old former Ulster centre now playing with Munster. “A really, really super game.”

Farrell was forced off with a knee injury.

“The rest of it was fatigue. 168 tackles and they made 140.”

James Ryan’s departure was put down to a “shoulder dunt”.

“James is just a young kid, we were looking at only giving him 50 minutes. They had some big strong men there.”

So all is well in the Irish garden.

“We’ve got to go away to France first up. We know what they are going to be like. Incredibly combative.”

Precisely what Ireland, and all 36 players with Garry Ringrose to return, have become. And, most importantly, they are unpredictable.