Contepomi Strikes Late To Deny Ireland
A late drop goal from Felipe Contepomi broke Irish hearts in Santa Fe as Argentina won the first Test 22-20 despite tries in each half from Eddie O’Sullivan’s tourists.
SUMMER TOUR FIRST TEST: Saturday, May 26
ARGENTINA 22 IRELAND 20, Estadio Brigadier Estanislao Lopez, Santa Fe (Att: 26,000)
Scorers: Argentina: Try: Hernan Senillosa; Con: Felipe Contepomi; Pens: Felipe Contepomi 4; Drop: Felipe Contepomi
Ireland: Tries: Brian Carney, Penalty try; Cons: Paddy Wallace 2; Pens: Paddy Wallace, Gavin Duffy
TIME LINE: 6 minutes – Ireland penalty: Paddy Wallace – 0-3; 8 mins – Ireland try: Brian Carney – 0-8; conversion: Paddy Wallace – 0-10; 13 mins – Argentina penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 3-10; 21 mins – Argentina penalty: missed by Felipe Contepomi; 36 mins – Ireland penalty: missed by Paddy Wallace; 38 mins – Argentina penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 6-10; Half-Time – Argentina 6 Ireland 10; 45 mins – Argentina penalty: missed by Felipe Contepomi; 47 mins – Argentina penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 9-10; 51 mins – Ireland try: Penalty try – 9-15; conversion: Paddy Wallace – 9-17; 52 mins – Argentina yellow card: Esteban Lozada; Ireland yellow card: Neil Best; 57 mins – Argentina penalty: Felipe Contepomi – 12-17; 68 mins – Ireland penalty: missed by Gavin Duffy; 74 mins – Argentina try: Hernan Senillosa – 17-17; conversion: Felipe Contepomi – 19-17; 77 mins – Ireland penalty: Gavin Duffy – 19-20; 80 mins – Argentina drop goal: Felipe Contepomi – 22-20; Full-Time – Argentina 22 Ireland 20
ARGENTINA: Bernardo Stortoni; Tomas de Vedia, Miguel Avramovic, Hernan Senillosa, Francisco Leonelli; Felipe Contepomi (capt), Nicolas Vergallo; Marcos Ayerza, Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Santiago Gonzalez Bonorino, Pablo Bouza, Esteban Lozada, Martin Durand, Juan Fernandez Lobbe, Juan Manuel Leguizamon.
Replacements used: Genaro Fessia for Durand (71 mins), Pablo Cardinali for Bonorino (76). Not used: Matias Cortese, James Stuart, Lucio Lopez Fleming, Juan Fernandez Miranda, Horacio Agulla.
IRELAND: Gavin Duffy; Brian Carney, Andrew Trimble, Kieran Lewis, Tommy Bowe; Paddy Wallace, Isaac Boss; Bryan Young, Jerry Flannery, Simon Best (capt), Trevor Hogan, Malcolm O’Kelly, Neil Best, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements used: Geordan Murphy for Duffy (14-23 mins, blood sub), Mick O’Driscoll for Hogan (23-26, blood sub), Geordan Murphy for Wallace (63), Tony Buckley for Young (66), O’Driscoll for Hogan (70), Stephen Ferris for Gleeson (71), Bernard Jackman for Flannery (78), Tomas O’Leary for Boss (79), Barry Murphy for Carney (80+1).
Sin Bin: Lozada (Argentina), N Best (Ireland) (both 52 mins)
Referee: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)