Head-To-Head: Ireland v Argentina

See below for a statistical preview of Sunday’s vital World Cup Pool D match between Ireland and Argentina in Paris (kick-off 5pm local time).

WORLD CUP – POOL D: Sunday, September 30

IRELAND v ARGENTINA, Parc des Princes, 4pm Irish time/5pm local time (live TV3/UTV/Setanta Sports)

Ireland: Geordan Murphy; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Gordon D’Arcy, Denis Hickie; Ronan O’Gara, Eoin Reddan; Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Simon Easterby, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.

Replacements: Rory Best, Bryan Young, Malcolm O’Kelly, Neil Best, Isaac Boss, Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble.

Argentina: Ignacio Corleto; Lucas Borges, Manuel Contepomi, Felipe Contepomi, Horacio Agulla; Juan Martin Hernandez, Agustin Pichot (capt); Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma, Juan Martin Scelzo, Carlos Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Patricio Albacete, Lucas Ostiglia, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Gonzalo Longo Elia.

Replacements: Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Omar Hasan Jalil, Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, Martin Durand, Nicolas Fernandez Miranda, Federico Todeschini, Hernan Senillosa.

Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch Judges: Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Television Match Official: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

Head-To-Head:

Played – 9
Ireland Won – 5
Argentina Won – 4

Previous Encounters:

June 2, 2007 – Tour Match – Argentina 16 Ireland 0, Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires

Ireland Scorers: –

Ireland Team: Geordan Murphy; Brian Carney, Barry Murphy, Gavin Duffy, Rob Kearney; Jeremy Staunton, Eoin Reddan; Simon Best, Frankie Sheahan, Bryan Young, Leo Cullen, Mick O’Driscoll, Alan Quinlan, Shane Jennings, Stephen Ferris.

Replacements: Bernard Jackman, Tony Buckley, Malcolm O’Kelly, Neil Best, Isaac Boss, Kieran Lewis, Luke Fitzgerald.

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May 26, 2007 – Tour Match – Argentina 22 Ireland 20, Club Atletico Colon, Santa Fe

Ireland Scorers: Try: Brian Carney, Penalty try; Cons: Paddy Wallace 2; Pens: Paddy Wallace, Gavin Duffy

Ireland Team: Gavin Duffy; Brian Carney, Andrew Trimble, Kieran Lewis, Tommy Bowe; Paddy Wallace, Isaac Boss; Bryan Young, Jerry Flannery, Simon Best, Trevor Hogan, Malcolm O’Kelly, Neil Best, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Bernard Jackman, Tony Buckley, Mick O’Driscoll, Stephen Ferris, Tomas O’Leary, Geordan Murphy, Barry Murphy.

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November 27, 2004 – Tour Match – Ireland 21 Argentina 19, Lansdowne Road

Ireland Scorers: Pens: Ronan O’Gara 5; Drops: Ronan O’Gara 2

Ireland Team: Girvan Dempsey; Geordan Murphy, Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Reggie Corrigan, Shane Byrne, John Hayes, Malcolm O’Kelly, Paul O’Connell, Simon Easterby, Johnny O’Connor, Anthony Foley.

Replacements: Frankie Sheahan, Marcus Horan, Donncha O’Callaghan, Eric Miller, Guy Easterby, David Humphreys, Kevin Maggs.

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October 26, 2003 – World Cup Pool Match – Argentina 15 Ireland 16, Adelaide Oval

Ireland Scorers: Try: Alan Quinlan; Con: David Humphreys; Pens: David Humphreys, Ronan O’Gara 2

Ireland Team: Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Kevin Maggs, Denis Hickie; David Humphreys, Peter Stringer; Reggie Corrigan, Keith Wood, John Hayes, Malcolm O’Kelly, Paul O’Connell, Simon Easterby, Alan Quinlan, Victor Costello.

Replacements: Shane Byrne, Marcus Horan, Donncha O’Callaghan, Eric Miller, Guy Easterby, Ronan O’Gara, John Kelly.

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November 23, 2002 – Tour Match – Ireland 16 Argentina 7, Lansdowne Road

Ireland Scorers: Try: Girvan Dempsey; Con: Ronan O’Gara; Pens: Ronan O’Gara 3

Ireland Team: Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Kevin Maggs, Justin Bishop; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Reggie Corrigan, Shane Byrne, John Hayes, Gary Longwell, Malcolm O’Kelly, Victor Costello, Keith Gleeson, Anthony Foley.

Replacements: Frankie Sheahan, Marcus Horan, Leo Cullen, Alan Quinlan, Guy Easterby, David Humphreys, Geordan Murphy.

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June 3, 2000 – Tour Match – Argentina 34 Ireland 23, Ferrocaril Oeste, Buenos Aires

Ireland Scorers: Tries: Rob Henderson, Justin Bishop 2, Malcolm O’Kelly; Pen: David Humphreys

Ireland Team: Peter McKenna; Shane Horgan, Rob Henderson, Kevin Maggs, Justin Bishop; David Humphreys, Peter Stringer; Peter Clohessy, Keith Wood, John Hayes, Mick Galwey, Malcolm O’Kelly, Simon Easterby, David Wallace, Anthony Foley.

Replacements: Frankie Sheahan, Justin Fitzpatrick, Bob Casey, Andy Ward, Guy Easterby, Ronan O’Gara, Mike Mullins.

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October 20, 1999 – World Cup Quarter-Final Play-Off – Argentina 28 Ireland 24, Stade Felix Bollaert, Lens

Ireland Scorers: Pens: David Humphreys; Drop: David Humphreys

Ireland Team: Conor O’Shea; Justin Bishop, Brian O’Driscoll, Kevin Maggs, Matt Mostyn; David Humphreys, Tom Tierney; Reggie Corrigan, Keith Wood, Paul Wallace, Jeremy Davidson, Malcolm O’Kelly, Andy Ward, Kieron Dawson, Dion O’Cuinneagain.

Replacements: Ross Nesdale, Justin Fitzpatrick, Bob Casey, Eric Miller, Brian O’Meara, Eric Elwood, Jonathan Bell.

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August 28, 1999 – Tour Match – Ireland 32 Argentina 24, Lansdowne Road

Ireland Scorers: Tries: Matt Mostyn 3, Keith Wood; Pens: David Humphreys 4

Ireland Team: Conor O’Shea; Justin Bishop, Brian O’Driscoll, Kevin Maggs, Matt Mostyn; David Humphreys, Tom Tierney; Peter Clohessy, Keith Wood, Paul Wallace, Paddy Johns, Jeremy Davidson, Trevor Brennan, Andy Ward, Dion O’Cuinneagain.

Replacements: Ross Nesdale, Justin Fitzpatrick, Malcolm O’Kelly, Eric Miller, Brian O’Meara, Eric Elwood, Mike Mullins.

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October 27, 1990 – Tour Match – Ireland 20 Argentina 18, Lansdowne Road

Ireland Scorers: Tries: Kenneth Hooks, Michael Kiernan; Pens: Michael Kiernan 4

Ireland Team: Kenny Murphy; Kenneth Hooks, Brendan Mullin, Michael Kiernan, Keith Crossan; Brian Smith, Alain Rolland; Nick Popplewell, John McDonald, Des Fitzgerald, Donal Lenihan, Paddy Johns, Noel Mannion, Denis McBride, Philip Lawlor.

Replacements: John Fitzgerald, Terry Kingston, Mick Galwey, Michael Bradley, Ralph Keyes, Vinny Cunningham.

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Ireland v Argentina In The World Cup:

Played – 2
Ireland Won – 1 (2003 pool match)
Argentina Won – 1 (1999 quarter-final play-off)

Biggest Win In The Series:

Ireland – Points: 32-24 (1999); Margin: 16-7 (2002)
Argentina – Points: 34-23 (2000); Margin: 16-0 (2007)

Form Guide From 2006 To Present:

Ireland:

Italy (6N) home – won 26-16
France (6N) away – lost 31-43
Wales (6N) home – won 31-5
Scotland (6N) home – won 15-9
England (6N) away – won 28-24
New Zealand away – lost 23-34
New Zealand away – lost 17-27
Australia away – lost 15-37
South Africa home – won 32-15
Australia home – won 21-6
Pacific Islanders home – won 61-17
Wales (6N) away – won 19-9
France (6N) home – lost 17-20
England (6N) home – won 43-13
Scotland (6N) away – won 19-18
Italy (6N) home – won 51-24
Argentina away – lost 20-22
Argentina away – lost 0-16
Scotland away – lost 21-31
Italy home – won 23-20
Namibia (RWC) neutral – won 32-17
Georgia (RWC) neutral – won 14-10
France (RWC) neutral – lost 3-25

Argentina:

Wales home – won 27-25
Wales home – won 45-27
New Zealand home – lost 19-25
Chile away – won 60-13
Uruguay home – won 26-0
England away – won 25-18
Italy away – won 23-16
France away – lost 26-27
Ireland home – won 22-20
Ireland home – won 16-0
Italy home – won 24-6
Chile home – won 70-14
Wales away – lost 20-27
France (RWC) neutral – won 17-12
Georgia (RWC) neutral – won 33-3
Namibia (RWC) neutral – won 63-3

Most Capped Players:

Ireland:

88 – Malcolm O’Kelly
79 – Peter Stringer
78 – Girvan Dempsey, John Hayes, Brian O’Driscoll
76 – Ronan O’Gara

Argentina:

86 – Lisandro Arbizu, Rolando Martin
79 – Pedro Sporleder
76 – Federico Mendez Azpillaga
68 – Agustin Pichot

World’s Most-Capped Players:

137 – George Gregan
119 – Jason Leonard*
115 – Fabien Pelous
111 – Philippe Sella
102 – Stephen Larkham, Gareth Thomas**
101 – David Campese

(*Leonard has 114 caps for England and 5 for the Lions, **Thomas has 99 caps for Wales and 3 for the Lions)

All-Time Top Points Scorers:

Ireland:

774 – Ronan O’Gara
560 – David Humphreys
308 – Michael Kiernan
296 – Eric Elwood
217 – Ollie Campbell

Argentina:

486 – Gonzalo Quesada
432 – Hugo Porta

All-Time Top Try Scorers:

Ireland:

30 – Brian O’Driscoll
29 – Denis Hickie
20 – Shane Horgan
18 – Girvan Dempsey
17 – Brendan Mullin, Geordan Murphy

Argentina:

29 – Jose Nunez Piossek
20 – Gustavo Jorge

World’s All-Time Top Points Scorers:

1090 – Neil Jenkins (1049 for Wales, 41 for the Lions)
1010 – Diego Dominguez (27 for Argentina, 983 for Italy)
986 – Jonny Wilkinson (939 for England, 47 for the Lions)
967 – Andrew Mehrtens (New Zealand)
911 – Michael Lynagh (Australia)
878 – Matt Burke (Australia)
813 – Percy Montgomery (South Africa)
774 – Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
733 – Gavin Hastings (667 for Scotland, 66 for the Lions)