Ireland gear up for All Blacks with easy win over Pumas
IRELAND, by no means at their best, still showed enough quality when it mattered to account for Argentina but there will be plenty to work on this week as they prepare to tackle the All Blacks.
Any thought that this was just a warm-up before that encounter with New Zealand was soon dispelled with the Pumas in a physical but fairly disciplined mood, giving as good as they got in the first half although they found it tougher going after the break.
Influential fly-half Nicolas Sanchez was ticking over nicely and when he plays well Argentina tend to raise their game accordingly. The fact that Ireland, usually so disciplined in defence, gave eight penalties away in the first half also helped the visitors’ cause. It was untypical for Ireland who reckon on five penalties per game to be more than enough.
Sanchez kicked an early penalty to give the Pumas a toehold in the game although Ireland hit back strongly when Kieran Marmion, set for a busy November in the absence of the injured Conor Murray, scrambled his way to the line after a lineout rumble had broken down.
The Pumas, though, were working up a good head of steam and after Sanchez had potted a second penalty they stretched their lead with an excellent try for Bautista Delguy after Jeronimo de la Fuente had punched a big hole in the defence in an attack carried on by Ramiro Moyano.
Argentina recycled the ball efficiently and with Ireland short of cover wide out on the right Delguy had no problem making the corner. In fact he should possibly have made more effort to head infield to the posts as Sanchez for once was wide with his conversion attempt.
Going six points down seemed to stir Ireland and they hit back with a trademark try from Bundee Aki. Trademark in the sense that they mounted a long sustained attack in which they both made ground and looked after the ball which eventually wore down the Pumas defence until Aki, who had been thwarted by Tomas Lavanini moments earlier, managed to barge his way over.
As half-time approached, the Pumas nudged their way back into the lead with another penalty before they were unlucky to go behind again just before the break when Pablo Matera was penalised when clearly not held in the tackle. Indeed, he was in the clear and threatening to score when he was called back with Argentina understandably frustrated.
Sexton stepped up to land a long-range penalty which sent Ireland down the tunnel 15-14 up but coach Joe Schmidt will have been far from happy.
Ireland, effectively playing their first game of the series because they sent a second XV to Chicago to play Italy last week, were scrappy and unconvincing though they had shown their quality in patches with a couple of nice touches from former England U20 hopeful Will Addison, who made an unexpected debut after the late withdrawal of Robbie Henshaw.
Addison, always impressive for Sale over the years but ignored by England at senior level, looked untroubled by the extra pace and intensity of Test rugby and demonstrated a light touch with his passing. Another feather in the cap for the Irish scouts in England who have eyes everywhere!
Sanchez continued his impressive kicking display by landing a fourth penalty soon after the break to regain the lead as this intense encounter continued. Sexton missed a long-
range effort but as the game approached the hour mark – and the hits were flying in with most of them legitimate – eventually Argentina infringed and this time the Leinster man was on the mark.
With Dan Leavy off the bench for the injured Sean O’Brien and making a huge impact, Ireland were beginning to dominate possession and territory with only the occasional moment of brilliance from Emiliano Boffelli lifting the siege – but a score had to come and it duly arrived from Luke McGrath soon after he replaced Marmion.
Ireland were rock solid at a scrum five and McGrath, initially shaping to either run or pass to the right, noticed defence back on their heels and stepped in under the posts to score.
It was all Ireland now and although Argentina fought hard to stay in the battle their discipline started to slip and when Lavanini, not for the first time, tackled a player without the ball – in this instance Peter O’Mahony – Sexton added a simple three points to virtually close out the game. So a win and now all eyes on New Zealand.
They will be without Sean O’Brien who requires surgery and Schmidt said: “Sean’s broken his right arm. He’ll need surgery.
“Argentina never make it easy for you, they are a world-class, physical side. We struggled for rhythm in the first half but improved after the break and put them under more pressure.
“Of course, we will have to improve across the board, we will have to step up another level. We have got two good wins under our belt and some good momentum. We are pushtiste ing ourselves, learning off each other, it’s about the whole group and team working hard together because we have some massive challenges ahead, starting on Saturday.”
Schmidt has some big calls to make. Can he leave out Tadgh Beirne against such a quick team as New Zealand and will Rob Kearney, Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose be available? A tense week awaits.