Six-try Ireland rediscover their spark in emphatic victory over Argentina

There was plenty to like about this display on a return to Test rugby, Hugo Keenan’s three tries augmented by one apiece for captain Dan Sheehan, his replacement Ronan Kelleher and fly-half Sam Prendergast

HAT-TRICK HUGO: Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan scored three tries against Argentina. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Nations Championship: Ireland 42 Argentina 12 

Ireland kicked off their Nations Championship autumn series with a return to winning ways in Dublin on Friday night as Hugo Keenan crowned an assured team performance with a hat-trick of tries to sink Argentina.

Andy Farrell’s side had signed off for the summer with a chastening 40-21 defeat to New Zealand at the All Blacks’ fortress Eden Park on July 18 and it had been a less than stellar start for the four provinces in the opening weeks of the URC campaign. 

Yet there was plenty to like about this display on a return to Test rugby, Keenan’s three tries augmented by one apiece for captain Dan Sheehan, his replacement Ronan Kelleher and fly-half Sam Prendergast, who enjoyed a sparkling evening on home soil, adding five conversions on top of a stellar outing in the number 10 jersey.

For Felipe Contepomi’s Pumas, their inconsistency of the past year continued as they failed to deliver on their mission to beat Ireland on Irish soil for the first time and end an 11-year losing run to their hosts dating back to their last win at the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals.

Yet though Ireland had started brightly the home side were the first to concede as Argentina profited from their first entry to the home 22, 10 minutes in. Fly-half Tomas Albornoz kicked crossfield into the in-goal area with pinpoint accuracy to clear scrum-half Craig Casey and find wing Mateo Carreras to catch and touchdown with ease.

Albornoz had been the scourge of Andy Farrell’s British & Irish Lions at the Aviva in June 2025 as Los Pumas earned a famous win but the Toulon playmaker missed his conversion attempt and when Ireland regathered the momentum, they were able to take a 7-5 lead on 15 minute. It was an excellent attacking move off a right-wing lineout, just over the Argentine 10-metre line, Casey’s feed at speed to Sam Prendergast seeing his fly-half create a yard of space with a one-two pass which maintained the tempo for Robert Baloucoune, far from his right touchline to inject further pace and pass to fellow wing Mack Hansen. Hansen made more ground into the 22 and offloaded inside to find Keenan, the full-back finishing with aplomb on his first home international since the 2025 Six Nations.

It was all Ireland from there to half-time, Prendergast’s conversion adding to a confident performance, the number 10 looking to run as much as pass or kick tactically, with equal efficiency. The Irish pack was also enjoying the set-piece, repeatedly picking off Argentina lineouts to frustrate the visitors and creating more scores from their own throws.

Ireland’s second try came after 25 minutes as the home side struck from the set-piece out of touch from inside the Pumas’ 22. Nick Timoney put in a strong carry from fellow flanker Ryan Baird’s tap down at the tail of the lineout and captain Sheehan finished from five metres out, Prendergast’s conversion pushing his side into a 14-5 lead.

It was 21-5 four minutes later as Keenan claimed his second of the opening half as the Ireland pack stole another lineout, this time from just five metres out following an inch-perfect touchfinder to the left corner from Prendergast, who added his third conversion.

Argentina’s problems worsened when centre Justo Piccardo was yellow-carded by referee Luke Pearce in the 35th minute for a blatant offside tackle on the charging Sheehan. The Irish captain almost grabbed his second soon after as he peeled off a lineout maul 10 metres out, only to put a foot into touch in the act of scoring. Injury was added to Sheehan’s pain, the hooker removed for a Head Injury Assessment after replacement hooker Leonel Oviedo tackled him illegally on the ground during his scoring effort. Oviedo had replaced captain Julian Montoya but became the third hooker and second Pumas number two of the night to go off for an HIA, temporarily sending the game into uncontested scrums, before loosehead prop Boris Wenger stepped across the front row.

It was an eventful end to a half dominated by Ireland, who took a 21-5 lead into the interval. The scoreboard did not stay static for long when the second half resumed as Prendergast added to his repertoire on the night with a linebreak on the Pumas 10-metre line and raced to the tryline for the first of three quickfire five-pointers.

The fly-half converted his own score on 42 minutes, which was soon followed by Argentina wing Carreras’s second of the game, converted by Albornoz for a 28-12 scoreline.

Yet Ireland quickly responded, Keenan claiming his hat-trick try in the 49th minute, Prendergast adding his fourth conversion of the match as the home side opened up a 35-12 lead.

With the game now fast and loose, Argentina’s discipline eluded them once more as replacement lock Ephraim Elias went to the sin bin in the 55th minute for a high tackle on Keenan, and though Ireland scored immediately through a Ronan Kelleher maul try, converted by replacement fly-half Ciaran Frawley.

Ireland were not without issues, their discipline began to creak and a succession of conceded penalties saw tighthead prop replacement Sam Illo yellow-carded six minutes into his home debut in the 61st.

Yet it was a minor blemish on an otherwise excellent evening’s work for Farrell’s men, with Fiji and world champions South Africa still to visit Dublin in the next two Saturdays ahead of a Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham.

IRELAND: H Keenan; R Baloucoune (J Osborne, 59), R Henshaw, S McCloskey, M Hansen; S Prendergast (C Frawley, 55), C Casey (J Gibson-Park, 55); A Porter (T O’Toole, 56), D Sheehan – captain (R Kelleher, 35 - HIA), T Furlong (S Illo, 55); J McCarthy (J Ryan, 56), T Beirne; R Baird, N Timoney, S Jansen (J van der Flier, 46).

Yellow card: S Illo 61-71 

ARGENTINA: J Cruz Mallía (G Prisciantelli, 63); B Delguy, J Piccardo, S Chocobares (L Cinti, 63), M Carreras; T Albornoz, G Garcia (S Benítez Cruz, 51); B Wenger (M Vivas, 63), J Montoya – captain (L Oviedo, 29 – HIA; M Vivas, 36-51 - HIA), F Moreno (J Sclavi, 50, Moreno, 66-76 - HIA); G Petti (E Elias, 50), P Rubiolo; J M González, M Kremer (J M Scelzo, 55 - HIA), P Matera.

Yellow card: J Piccaardo 35-45, E Elias 55-65 

Referee: Luke Pearce (England).