Future is here for fledglings

A pitch falling well short of international standards will provide the platform for about a dozen Irish hopefuls to work their way into Joe Schmidt’s World Cup plans today.

The players and management knew that the soccer pitch at Estadio Centenario was going to be short and tight, but they got a shock when they arrived there for the first time yesterday for the Captain’s run.

The pitch is bumpy with a few dozen patches, in-goal areas of less than five metres, while the perimeter wall on one side is just three metres from the touchline.

This is the first Test rugby match to be played at the venue in the northern outpost, and the only other major rugby to be played here was in 2011 when the French Barbarians beat an Argentina XV 21-18.

Ireland skills and kicking coach Richie Murphy admitted the pitch fell short of what is expected but he stressed that players would just get on with the task of beating the Pumas.

“I don’t think the players will be too worried about it. They are professional players, they are here to do a job and they will just get on with it. I think the pitch will be put into the back of their minds and they will get on with it.”

Ireland winger Andrew Trimble said it was a concern the concrete perimeter walls were so near the pitch.

“Myself and Felix (Jones) were testing them out and they were quite solid. You are not gonna fly through the wall! But it is all going to be a challenge and obviously we have the small matter of the match. We have plenty on our plates.”

There will be plenty of players with more to concern them, especially as Joe Schmidt has made it clear that this is one of just a handful of opportunities to stake a claim.

Robbie Diack is the only debutant starting, though Kieran Marmion and perhaps Rodney Ah You could appear, while the displays of Felix Jones at full-back and the return from the international wilderness of Simon Zebo will also be closely watched.

So too will the performance of Darren Cave at 13, while Jordi Murphy makes his first start in a back row where former Stade Francais No.8 Benjamin Macome is one of the few experienced players in an under-strength home side.

Lock Manuel Nicolas Carizza, with 40 caps, also provides some experience but Ireland are concerned about the emerging wingers Santiago Cordero and Manuel Montero.

Ireland have lost all three games against the Pumas in Argentina with Trimble and Jamie Heaslip the only survivors when they last met here, when the visitors went down 22-20 in 2007.

Argentina go into this clash with several victories in tournament games but they have only won one of their last 10 Test matches on home soil, a 29-18 win over Georgia last summer.