Stakes are high as Pumas wait in long grass

Ireland will have to deliver something they have not managed in more than 12 months to avoid being consigned to world rugby’s margins for the next three years.

It really is that simple for head coach Declan Kidney, whose fate, like many of his senior players, could well be sealed should they lose to Argentina tomorrow at the Aviva Stadium.

Defeat to the Pumas means relegation out of the top eight in the IRB’s world rankings and a third-tier seeding for the 2015 World Cup draw to be held in London in 10 days. The consequences of that are huge, with Ireland facing in a potential pool that could, for example feature New Zealand and Wales.