Nations Championship: Ireland 42 Argentina 12
Ireland ignited their Nations Championship campaign with a statement bonus-point win over Argentina, which was both impressively accurate and clinical while also leaving chances behind and thus room for improvement. In both the prism of this manufactured competition and the World Cup in under a year.
The Pumas had looked dangerous in the first quarter, although injuries disrupted them, before Ireland struck with a couple of lovely tries off the training ground which would have pleased both Andrew Goodman and Paul O’Connell and thereafter pulled clear.
There was much to like in this Irish performance and in areas which they had targeted, such as the set-piece. The lineout provided a slick attacking platform while Ryan Baird was determined to atone for being fended early on by Tomos Albornoz and was tormentor-in-chief in helping Ireland nick six Pumas’ throws.
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Some of the shape and handling was very good, and the phased attack found its rhythm. Nick Timoney and Craig Casey – kicking and passing was on the money – justified their inclusion, with Sam Prendergast overcoming a couple of errors to deftly manipulate the Irish attack and Pumas’ defence. Ireland used decoy runners and cohesive, closely-knit patterns to keep Shaun Edwards’ Pumas’ defence guessing.
Positive individual contributions abounded and with Mack Hansen’s inventiveness and Baloucoune’s aerial ability there was a real cutting edge. The sprightly Hugo Keenan made off with a hat-trick and the Player of the Match award.
All in all, although the performance tapered off in the last half-hour, the Irish players also looked fit and sharp – epitomised by the tight five forwards.
Admittedly, there may have been a toll, with the dynamic captain Dan Sheehan failing an HIA while the impressive Sean Jansen and the excellent Robert Baloucoune limped off, and the fixtures have perhaps fallen perfectly with Fiji and South Africa here over the next two Saturdays.
As usual for a Friday night game, the atmosphere was subdued for the opening exchanges, all the more so as the Pumas carried the bigger early threat. An example was Bautista Delguy wrapping around Juan Cruz Mallia but failed to catch a low offload.
But as Mack Hansen had kicked out on the full, the advantage was deemed lost and Argentina struck off the lineout, going wide left to Tomas Albornoz and wide right to Delguy. Ireland were stretched and Argentina were alive to Casey being isolated on the left as a pinpoint crosskick by Albornoz was gathered for the try by Mateo Carreras.
Tellingly, Ireland’s response was swift and effective. Counter-rucking by Dan Sheehan, Baloucoune and Casey forced a turnover penalty which Prendergast arrowed to the corner. Cue a first phase try off a lovely strike play, Prendergast passing behind Stuart McCloskey and Robbie Henshaw pulling a no-look pass out the back for the outhalf on the wrap. Baloucoune came off his wing and fed Hansen, whose lobbed pass inside took out four defenders for Keenan to gather and score.
Ireland possibly overplayed the ploy of using Baloucoune off his wing and Argentina had some joy going more direct and blind before Sean Jansen forced a vital turnover penalty. Ditto Nick Timoney in backing up a good tackle before another lineout variation.
Sheehan hit Baird before peeling infield and giving a no-look pass inside to Timoney. Montoya did well to tackle him short of the line before Sheehan fathered Casey’s pass to run over Delguy for the try.
Simon Easterby tapped a smiling Paul O’Connell for a move well executed.
Baloucoune continued his strong aerial game and running threat, the latter checking four defenders in affording Prendergast to find touch five metres out.
Montoya departed for a failed HIA and Baird, so quick off the ground even at the front of the lineout, stole the ensuing throw by Leonel Oviedo and Prendergast this time wrapped around McCloskey for Hansen to link off his wing with Keenan. He stepped inside Carreras and swivelled out of an Albornoz tackle to score.
After another aerial reclaim by Baloucoune and chip in behind by Casey, Justo Piccardo was binned for tackling Sheehan after his quick tap. But Ireland were denied the bonus point try before half-time when Sheehan exploded around the blindside, Gonzalo Garcia’s tackled knocked him to ground from where he was hit by Oviedo.
Both he and Sheehan went off for HIAS, the Irish skipper failing his, and curiously, Luke Pearce did not award wither a penalty try or yellow card, and a last attack off a non-contested scrum made for a scrappy finish to the half.
But within two minutes Ireland ran back a take by Keenan. Although Henshaw left behind Hansen’s pass, he regathered and a phase later Prendergast took Jansen’s pullback to dummy and beat Marcos Kremer on his outside before running clear from 40 metres for his first Test try.
His running game is back with a vengeance this season.
Santiago Chocobares did pierce the green line and a few phases later Carreras took a nice line through Casey to take Keenan’s tackle and score. After the impressive Jansen limped off to be replaced by Josh van der Flier, Farrell would have liked another swift Irish response as the sub flanker and Tadhg Beirne combined to win a turnover penalty to the corner.
Beirne gathered Ronan Kelleher’s throw, the pack drive, McCloskey trucked it up and deft hands by Tadhg Furlong, McCarthy and Baird laid on Keenan’s third try of the night. When Efrain Elias was binned for a high hit on Keenan, there was an inevitability about the catch-and-drive try for Kelleher.
As the flow of tries ceased, Sweet Caroline was played on the PA system and the aisles and seats began to empty. But Ireland looked fresh and innovative, and on a mild winter’s night overall this was a good start to their autumnal campaign.
Scoring sequence – 11 mins: Carreras try 0-5; 15: Keenan try, Prendergast con 7-5; 24: Sheehan try, Prendergast con 14-5; 29: Keenan try, Prendergast con 21-5; HT: 21-5; 41: Prendergast try, con 28-5; 46: Carreras try, Albornoz con 28-12; 50: Keenan try, Prendergast con 35-12; 55: Kelleher try, Frawley con 42-12.
IRELAND: H Keenan; R Baloucoune, R Henshaw, S McCloskey, M Hansen; S Prendergast, C Casey; A Porter, D Sheehan (capt), T Furlong, J McCarthy, T Beirne, R Baird, N Timoney, S Jansen. Replacements: R Kelleher for Sheehan (35 mins); C Frawley for Prendergast, J Gibson-Park for Casey, S Illo for Furlong (all 54); T O’Toole for Porter, J Ryan for McCarthy (both 56); J Osborne for Baloucoune (58); Porter for Timoney (68 mins); Timoney for Porter (71).
Yellow card: Illo (60)
ARGENTINA: JC Mallia; B Delguy, J Piccardo, S Chocobares, M Carreras; T Albornoz, G Garcia; B Wenger, J Montoya (capt), F Morena; G Petti, P Rubiolo; JM Gonzalez, M Kremer, P Matera. Replacements: L Oviedo for Montoya (28 mins); M Vivas for Oviedo (36); Oviedo for Vivas (41); E Elias for Pagadizabal, J Sclavi for Moreno (both 50); S Benitez Cruz for Garcia, Vivas for Oviedo (both 51); JM Scelzo for Kremer (55); Oviedo for Vivas (56); G Prisciantelli for Mallia, L Cinti for Cohobates, Vivas for Wenger (all 63); Kremer for Scelzo, Moreno for Sclavi (both 66); Sclavi for Moreno (76).
Yellow card: Piccardo (36), Elias (55)
