IRELAND’S STOCK HIGH
Powering past Pumas puts pep in Schmidt’s step
THIS November finale wasn’t about exacting revenge. After all, only five of Ireland’s starting XV had lined out in that now infamous 2015 World Cup defeat, but it felt good all the same to rub some balm into a wound with a 25-month-old scar.
There was just a nine-point margin by the finish last night but not even the well-beaten Pumas could have complained if the distance was at least twice that, so comfortable were Joe Schmidt’s charges in following his blueprint for victory to a T.
Stepping into the media auditorium with a pep in his step following a morgue-like Pumas post-mortem that could well be the last time the beleaguered Daniel Hourcade is seen in his job, Schmidt enjoyed his end-of-series moment in the limelight.
It was a 35th win in his milestone
THAT was clinical. A seventh win on the bounce to round off 2017, a second undefeated November series in four under Joe Schmidt and an element of revenge for 2015’s World Cup exit. That’s a decent evening’s work in any Irish person’s language, the only quibble being how Argentina massaged the margin of defeat with two undeserved late tries.
The convincing triumph was no surprise. Argentina arrived in Dublin like an exasperated cyclist nursing a double puncture, just three wins in their last 19 outings, and their wobbling continued unabated here, the pent-up hosts taking firm early control that was the winning of the fixture.
Having come into the contest knowing in no uncertain terms the importance of winning the initial collisions, given what took place at Cardiff 25 months earlier, there was no way they were going to permit Argentina the opportunity to hammer similar dents in the defensive line exposed by insufficient coverage out wide at those finals.
Here, the Pumas couldn’t handle Ireland’s in-your-face attitude at the breakdown and a constant linespeed that left the visitors clueless until a garbage-time conclusion, where consolation scores couldn’t deflect from the level of Irish dominance.
Fears over Ireland’s three-quarter line inexperience were totally unfounded in this latest demolition of Rugby Championship opposition, the second in a fortnight and the fourth in five matches this past year. It’s delicious form that augers well for World Cup 2019, the nononsense tone set on this occasion by Johnny Sexton stripping early Argentina ball.
Ireland’s rousing confidence in what they are about these days had immediately been signified by running the ball all the way from their own 22 to the opposition’s in the opening exchanges, Pablo Matera growing frustrated with the multiple phases and his hands in the ruck allowed Sexton the easy shot for a fourth-minute lead.
Ambition continued untapped.
Debutant Adam Byrne showed no nerves on his early kick and chase and while he would quickly regret not being able to collect a Conor Murray crosskick after a Bundee Aki surge, his team were still next to score.
Argentina had a scrum on their 22 following a Chris Farrell knock-on but Ireland, who noted the difficulties the Pumas’ set-piece endured last weekend in Italy, got a massive shunt on and the resulting infringement had Sexton doubling the lead to six, 14 minutes in.
The visitors chanced their arm when they won their first penalty, asking Emiliano Boffelli to shoot without accuracy from halfway after Sean O’Brien erred at a ruck, the only occasion Ireland were penalised in the opening half.
They then repeated an error from Florence, with Martin Landajo conceding a free for a crooked scrum, and it was from the next set-piece that Ireland struck from deep for the opening try.
It was Farrell who excellently played the perfect foil off halfway line scrum ball, with his physical presence sucking in two defenders, Matera and Santiago Iglesias.
His neat hands just before the double hit impacted sent Sexton galloping through a massive hole, Jacob Stockdale the beneficiary of the transfer that allowed him an unchecked run in.
Sexton’s conversion left it 13-0 following 22 minutes of utter Irish control. The pressure didn’t disappear completely despite Argentina finally gaining a foothold, a onehanded O’Brien offload out of the tackle deserving better that a Rory Best fumble. But the Pumas were far too pedestrian in the carry and too inaccurate with ball in hand in the Irish 22 to make it count.
The interval talking point was when Ireland would put an end to their 18-minute scoring lull. Having got a 14-point jump on the Boks 14 days earlier, they were left waiting 32 minutes to score again, but their drought here required just 65 second-half seconds to end.
Having touted Stockdale as the potential trump card in yesterday’s Irish Daily Mail match preview, the prediction was spot on, the young winger taking a pass off Sexton and blasting past the static Inglesias to score his second try with a flourish.
Sexton added the touchline extras for a 20-point cushion, but it didn’t stick, Irish ruck discipline took a nosedive and four breakdown penalties were conceded in the next nine minutes in their own half.
It needed a lengthy TMO review to exonerate Tadhg Furlong for his tackle on Tomas Lezana and further review in the same passage to confirm a Joaquin Tuculet score off a Nicolas Sanchez kick through.
A penalty-conceding Matera error, though, shifted momentum back Ireland’s way and with another infringement earning a throw five metres out, their maul was unstoppable and CJ Stander was awarded the 63rd minute try that left the bad-tempered Pumas striking out at non-existent injustices.
They did get late consolations from Juan Manual Leguizamon, who exposed Andrew Conway, and Ramiro Moyano either side of a Sexton penalty, but that belated fire-fighting couldn’t take the sheen off a polished Irish display that will have Schmidt beaming all through winter.