O'Driscoll thrilled with 'nail-biting' win

FT Ireland 16 Argentina 15

Brian O'Driscoll has admitted Ireland were "biting their nails" right to the end of their hard-won win over Argentina today.

"Thank God we came out on the right side of the result. To be through to the quarter-finals - that's a fantastic feeling," he said.

Ireland won a magnificent and entertaining match over Argentina 16-15 in Adelaide to clinch their place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Alan Quinlan scored the only try of a superb encounter in which Ronan O’Gara also kicked two penalties and David Humphreys bagged a conversion and a penalty.

Argentina were guilty of failing to capitalise on their chances, particularly in the latter stages of the first half. They are now out of the tournament - while Ireland face Australia in a match to decide the winner of the pool.

Ireland snatched the lead back with a superb penalty kick from wide on the left by O’Gara after his team had surged forward impressively through the back line following a break by Kevin Maggs.

O’Gara’s presence was clearly lifting both the Irish team and their massive following in a crowd of 28,803.

He played a key role as the Irish back line swept forward with impressive attacks down both the left and right before the Pumas were caught for diving in at a ruck, -and O’Gara kicked again to put his side ahead 16-12.

O’Driscoll also lifted his game, producing a powerful ball-and-all tackle on Jose Oregno in the 67th minute – and the momentum was clearly with the men in green as they also managed to spoil the next Pumas line-out.

But when Ireland were penalised for playing the ball on the ground in a ruck with eight minutes left Quesada stepped up and kicked from 45 metres to pull his team to within a point at 16-15.

With four minutes to go, Ireland were handed possession when the Pumas obstructed at a line-out – and O’Gara turned the screw by kicking to the 22metre line on attack.

The Pumas survived that and scrambled desperately when O’Driscoll broke the defensive line a few moments later.

The game slipped from the Pumas’ grasp only when they knocked on in the Irish half. Ireland counter-attacked, but that fizzled with a loose pass on the right for Horgan.

Girvan Dempsey then produced a superb tackle to thwart a final counter from Albanese – and Ireland were through.