Ireland crash out to clinical Pumas
IRELAND will reflect with some regret on the opportunity t hat was squandered in Cardiff yesterday afternoon. It was not simply the fact that another World Cup quarter-final was lost, and with it that elusive place in the last four.
It will be the memory of how close they came, drawing to within three points of a mightily impressive Argentina before folding in the final quarter.
But this, Joe Schmidt conceded afterwards, was the game when Ireland needed the experience of Paul O’Connell and the composure of Johnny Sexton. When, in the face of such tenacity from a South American side that played the more aggressive, more expansive rugby, they needed the guile and ferocity of players like Sean O’Brien and Peter O’Mahony.
O’Connell might have lifted Irish spirits whenh h he appeared db brieflyi fl on th the gianti t screens here at the Millennium Stadium, but the injury he suffered against the French proved Ireland’s undoing every bit as much as the loss of Sexton in that same brutal encounter last week.
This time the understudies were not quite up to the task, with Ian Madigan unable to build on the fine display he produced when he came on for Sexton a week earlier. He was certainly no match for Nicolas Sanchez, the architect of Argentina’s ambitious back play as well as the scorer of 23 points.
If Madigan was at fault for allowing his nerves to get the better of him, he should not be l eft to carry the burden of responsibility alone. Defensively, Ireland’s backs were poor, and as a team they simply froze in an explosive opening quarter that saw Argentina twice cross the Irish try line to surge into a commanding lead. After just 13 minutes they were 17 points ahead, silencing a stunned, predominantly Irish crowd.
It was not entirely unexpected. This, after all, i s an Argentina side that gave New Zealand a fright earlier in the tournament and not so long ago was celebrating a famous victory over South Africa in Durban.
More surprising, however, was the timidity of the Irish performance. There was not a hint of the fire and brimstone they had produced to pummel France into submission. Never mind the organisation.
If Ireland deserved credit, it was the way they initially responded. First when Ramiro Herrera was sent to the sin-bin and then at the start of the second half, with Luke Fitzgerald delivering an outstanding performance after coming on as a replacement for Tommy Bowe.
Fitzgerald had considered retirement his injuries were so serious. Now, however, he was scoring one fabulous solo try and providing the platform for Jordi Murphy to make the 44th minute score that dragged Ireland back into the match.
Too often, however, in too many areas, Ireland were found wanting. They lacked discipline at critical moments, were defensively fragile against Argentina’s powerful running and, until the second half, were a distant second best at the breakdown. Even their pack wobbled against Argentina’s scrummaging.
Argentina were playing all the early rugby, scoring a super try after only three minutes after leaving Matias Moroni a clear run to the line down the right flank.
The sight of Juan Imhoff then comfortably winning the race in pursuit of a Tuculet kick added to the sense of anxiety. As did Sanchez popping over a penalty to add to his two conversions.
With Herrera off the field for a late tackle on Keith Earls, the Irish did respond through Fitzgerald.
Ten points down at the break, Ireland returned to the pitch with far more purpose and precision.
Murphy scored a second Irish try and this contest was now mesmerizingly close.
This, though, was where cool heads and strong l eadership were once again required, and where Argentina ultimately proved superior.
Errors enabled Argentina to regain control, and launch two more attacks that resulted in terrific swashbuckling tries for Tuculet and then Imhoff.
With only seven minutes remaining, those scores had killed off any Irish hope.