Ireland need win over Argentina to avoid complete miss with autumn tour

There were many doubts surrounding Ireland at the end of 2023. After years of trying to win the World Cup, the Greens fell short in the quarter-finals against New Zealand. It was a historic defeat after a legendary match that precipitated the retirement of a number of key players, most famously Jonathan Sexton.

From then on, we wondered if anything was going to change. The answer: no. The Six Nations Tournament, despite a narrow defeat in England, was on the whole a masterful affair for Andy Farrell's side, with a landmark win in France to kick-start the new era.

But of course, the confrontations with the leading nations of the Southern Hemisphere were going to be closely scrutinised. And the double-header with South Africa this summer proved that this team is still there. Beaten in the first test, the Irish snatched the second after one of the finest games of the year, sealed by a last-second drop kick from Ciarán Frawley!

With an unbeaten home record dating back to February 2021 and a defeat by France, the Greens were confident of exorcising the Indian sign as they kicked off their autumn tour at the Aviva Stadium last Friday. On the menu was New Zealand, in an attempt to come full circle and defeat the team that had dashed their hopes 12 months earlier.

And right up until the hour mark, there was plenty to believe in. As always, the Irish were masters of the strong/weak combination, stepping on the gas after the break and finally crossing the line to put the Blacks on the back foot. But everything turned around in the last 20 minutes of the game, and the New Zealanders, with their talent and freshness, made the home side pay dearly for their hesitations and missed tackles.

Defeating the Blacks was the primary - and logical - objective of this autumn tour. This defeat had a particularly negative impact. At the top of the world rankings going into this series of matches, Ireland have already slipped to third place. Admittedly, it's all very close, but this slide must not be allowed to continue given future objectives.

And the first of those goals is, of course, to beat Argentina this Friday evening. But there is no telling how much that opening defeat will have hurt the Greens.

Unequivocally, Andy Farrell declared after the defeat "It's a funny feeling because we're not used to feeling it in this dressing room".

When a team hates defeat that much, it's hard to digest. They did it against the Boks this summer, but they were not the favourites, unlike tonight's match.

Particularly as it is not just any opponents who are coming to the Aviva Stadium. Argentina are in fine form, after a successful 2023 World Cup and, above all, a historic Rugby Championship for the Pumas: for the first time in their history, they have beaten each of the three historic nations of the Southern Hemisphere in the same edition!

While they stuck no fewer than 67 points to the Wallabies, it was their one-point win over South Africa and, above all, a monstrous victory on New Zealand's turf that left their mark. 

Gone are the days when Argentina were the fourth wheel: they are now the third force among the nations of the South. And it is this status that the Pumas come to defend against Ireland.

This is a match that has only been played 11 times in the 21st century, with Argentina winning just twice. But the interesting thing is that both of those victories came at the World Cup, a tournament where the Pumas often perform well.

While there is nothing really at stake in this match, there is no doubt that they will be ready for another major performance, led by their coach Felipe Contepomi, former Leinster fly-half (2003-2009).

"I wouldn't say it's an advantage, but I'm trying to pass on what I know about Irish culture, Irish rugby and certain players. But at the end of the day, it's the individual and collective preparation that can make the difference."

The former international is not advancing on conquered ground, but he is leading a team that is used to pulling out all the stops, as was the case when they beat England in November 2022. And since this match is more important for Ireland than for his side...

Team line-ups

Ireland

Hugo Keenan - Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe - Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park - Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (cap), Tadhg Beirne - James Ryan, Joe McCarthy - Finlay Bealham, Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter.

Substitutes : Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Peter O'Mahony, Craig Casey, Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne

Argentina

Juan Cruz Mallia - Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Matias Moroni, Bautista Delguy - Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Bertranou - Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya, Joel Sclavi - Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo - Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo.

Substitutes : Ignacio Ruiz, Ignacio Calles, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Franco Molina, Santiago Grondona, Gonzalo Garcia, Santiago Carreras, Justo Picardo.