Edgy Ireland hold on despite Argentina fightback to get back to winning ways
BIG STRETCH: Ireland Jack Crowley dives over to score his side's first try despite the efforts of Lucio Cinti of Argentina. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Ireland survived a barren 48 minutes without scoring to hold on for a narrow victory as they returned to winning ways at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night but it was a far from encouraging performance from Andy Farrell’s side as they struggled to break down a battling Argentina.
Ireland had led 22-9 after 32 minutes thanks to tries from Jack Crowley, Mack Hansen and man of the match Joe McCarthy, with fly-half Crowley kicking two conversions and a drop goal.
Yet the only score of the second half came from Argentina full-back Juan Cruz Mallia on 47 minutes and though Ireland pushed for further scores, poor discipline and handling errors, hallmarks of the previous Friday’s 10-point loss to the All Blacks came back to bite them and they were fortunate to have escaped with this Autumn Nations Series victory.
For the second week in a row Ireland conceded 13 penalties and saw a player sin-binned in each half, Finlay Bealham on 16 minutes and McCarthy on 49, while Argentina saw Matias Moroni and Francisco Gomez Kodela also yellow-carded by referee Paul Williams and the Irish coaches box looked a frustrating place to be at the full-time whistle.
A week on from Ireland’s underwhelming and error-riddled performance in defeat to New Zealand, Andy Farrell had asked for greater intent, tighter discipline and improved accuracy as he named a side showing just one change to the starting line-up the previous Friday, replacing Bundee Aki at inside centre with Robbie Henshaw.
Yet there were four changes to the Irish replacements, only one of them enforced by injury as uncapped tighthead prop Thomas Clarkson came in for Tom O’Toole. Iain Henderson, Conor Murray and Ciaran Frawley were ousted in favour of Ryan Baird, Craig Casey and another debutant in 21-year-old fly-half Sam Prendergast.
Yet with captain Caelan Doris admitting the players retained had been given a second chance, Ireland needed some big performances, not least from under-pressure number 10 Jack Crowley.
Prendergast’s promotion to the bench and the praise that came the way of the young Leinster star had clearly not gone unnoticed by the Munster man and after a difficult outing against the All Blacks, Crowley enjoyed an assured first half as Ireland raced into 12-0 lead inside five minutes.
The fly-half had been the victim of a head-on-head clash with Argentina centre Matias Moroni two minutes in, wiping out a subsequent “try” for the visitors, but he regrouped to open the scoring as Ireland struck from the ensuing penalty and five-metre lineout, Moroni having been sent to the sin bin.
Moving the ball from left to right, the ball reached Crowley who cut back inside prop Thomas Gallo and through a tackle from centre Luico Cinto to claim his second try for Ireland.
Having added the conversion, Ireland went further in front through Mack Hansen as Ireland swarmed forward, Jamison Gibson Park firing a long pass to the left from where Tadhg Beirne sent back a neat short pass inside for the right wing to score in his opposite corner.
Ireland’s fast start was tempered by the return of some bad habits, not least in terms of discipline as Argentina fly-half Tomas Albornoz kicked successive penalty goals and prop Finlay Bealham was yellow-carded for a croc roll on opposite number Joel Sclavi.
Ireland managed the numerical mismatch well, though, with Crowley sending over a well-taken drop goal to open a 15-6 lead, only for Albornoz to add another penalty on 26 minutes to close the gap to 15-9.
Yet Ireland finished the opening period on a high, thanks to a try from lock Joe McCarthy on 32 minutes and Crowley’s conversion completed the first-half scoring.
If Ireland thought they were comfortable with a 13-point lead, they were knocked out of their comfort zone five minutes into the second half, undone by some brilliance by full-back Juan Cruz Mallia, who broke down the right channel, stepped Hansen and went by another three defenders to score under the posts.
Ireland had conceded six first-half penalties a week after shipping 13 to the All Blacks and their disciplinary issues continued as try-scorer McCarthy became the second Irishman sent to the bin for another flurry of three penalties in a row. It allowed Albornoz to add another three points and close Ireland’s lead to 22-19.
Finally, the Aviva Stadium found its voice, belting out the Fields of Athenry and raising the volume to rally their team and drown out a small but vocal and increasingly buoyant band of Pumas supporters.
McCarthy’s return to the field after his 10 minutes on the naughty step restored Ireland to their full complement as the hour mark came and Prendergast’s introduction came shortly after, his arrival marked by a huge cheer from the stands.
There was another lift as Ireland won a scrum penalty with debutant Clarkson and hooker Rob Herring newly introduced to the front row and Prendergast kicked them down field to set up an attacking lineout on the left wing.Â
Suddenly Ireland had impetus, Gibson-Park and his new half-back partner combining fluently to put James Lowe in down the right only for a knock-on in contact.
That pre-empted the arrival of veteran replacement prop Cian Healy for a record-equalling moment.Â
The loosehead had chosen not to lead Ireland onto the field on the night of his 133rd Test cap but the milestone in matching the mark of a watching and applauding Brian O’Driscoll was duly marked as he entered the fray on 67 minutes.
Ireland were beginning to pour on the pressure inside the Argentine 22 and their multi-phase approach was in full flow. Prendergast took it upon himself to dart for the left corner and was stopped five metres short but still Ireland pressed into the final 10 minutes. Replacement centre Jamie Osborne was the next to make inroads but yet again Ireland were halted by indiscipline at the ruck and Ireland had not troubled the scoreboard for 43 minutes.
Yet Farrell’s men caught a break through Argentine ill-discipline, 40-year-old replacement prop Francisco Gomez Kodela, clearing out Doris illegally at a ruck and earning the fourth yellow card of the match, allowing Ireland back onto the front foot.
With access back into the Pumas 22, they again sought the killer blow but still could not find a way through a sterling defensive effort from Felipe Contepomi’s men, the celebrations ecstatic when they won a breakdown penalty as Osborne failed to release the ball in contact.
Now it was their turn to sniff an opportunity with a lineout on halfway and the clock into the 79th minute. Retaining possession in the face of a scrapping Irish defence, Argentina fought their way to five metres out, two minutes beyond full time, only for the home rearguard to force a knock-on in contact. Ireland were off the hook.
H Keenan; M Hansen, G Ringrose, R Henshaw (J Osborne, 62), J Lowe; J Crowley (S Prendergast, 62), J Gibson-Park (C Casey, 73); A Porter (C Healy, 67), R Kelleher (R Herring, 63), F Bealham (T Clarkson, 52); J McCarthy, J Ryan (R Baird, 62, P O’Mahony, 64 – Baird HIA); T Beirne, J van der Flier (T Clarkson, 23-28 – YC FR rep), C Doris – captain.
F Bealham 15-25, J McCarthy 49-59Â
J Cruz Mallia; R Isgro (S Carreras, 57), L Cinti (J Piccardo, 58 - HIA), M Moroni, B Delguy; T Albornoz, G Bertranou (G Garcia, 48); T Gallo (I Calles, 22-32 – HIA; 72), J Montoya (I Ruiz, 21-31 - blood), J Sclavi (F Kodela Gomez, 51); G Petti (F Molina, 51), P Rubiolo; P Matera (S Grondona, 63), J M Gonzalez, J Oviedo.
M Moroni 2-12, F Gomez Kodela 75Â
Paul Williams (New Zealand)
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