A tough defeat to swallow after a positive start, says Boss

ISAAC BOSS made his way gingerly from the dressing room through the Santa Fe De Colon gymnasium, which officially was a designated mixed zone area for journalists, but ended up as an autograph seeker’s paradise for those who managed to squeeze through thin security lines.

Boss stopped to hand out his gear to delighted locals, after the first international test match in the city. “There were shades of France in Croke Park,” he said in reference to the way Argentina pinched victory at the death. “We had opportunities to win the game, and we could have won it. They had an opportunity at the end and they took it. It’s a tough defeat to swallow.”

It was a positive start for Ireland, being more proactive than reactive, and, just eight minutes in, the stadium was silenced when debutant, Brian Carney, sprinted 65 metres to dot down under the posts. Other facets of Ireland’s game stood out: Neil Best, almost Argentinean in his aggression at the breakdown, and Simon Best’s brilliance at tight head, keeping the scrum steady. In the backs Paddy Wallace, Carney and Gavin Duffy shone.