Forwards On Song As Ireland Pound Out Record Victory Over Pumas

Ireland closed out the Autumn Nations Series in fine style with a record 53-7 win over Argentina, treating the Aviva Stadium crowd to seven tries shared out between the forwards.

Match Photo Gallery: Ireland 53 Argentina 7

Josh van der Flier bagged a brace and Andrew Porter, Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy and Tadhg Beirne also crossed the whitewash, with the latter three tries coming after Argentina’s Tomas Lavanini was red carded.

The fast-starting Pumas trailed 24-7 at half-time, having narrowly missed out on a second try and sent two penalties wide.

In contrast, Joey Carbery, the eventual Vodafone player-of-the-match, was deadly accurate, kicking 18 points from six conversions and two penalties.

Peter O’Mahony and Beirne were two late call-ups to Ireland’s starting XV, replacing the injured Jack Conan (quad strain) and Iain Henderson (hamstring).

However, with their tails up following last week’s dismissal of New Zealand, the last-minute disruption failed to derail Andy Farrell’s men as they chalked up an eighth straight victory.

Playing in Dublin for the first time in three years, Argentina signalled their intent with a very well-worked second-minute try, finished in a flash by winger Mateo Carreras.

Prop Thomas Gallo’s midfield offload led to numbers on the right and the nippy Carreras stepped in off his wing, dashing past Beirne, to score in crisp fashion.

Emiliano Boffelli’s conversion made it the full seven points, before a fine high catch by Hugo Keenan preceded Carbery’s opening penalty. He punished Marcos Kremer for not rolling away.

Nice hands from Conor Murray and the returning Robbie Henshaw soon sent Kelleher charging down the left touchline, Doris following up to bring the attack up into the Argentinian 22.

A subsequent penalty allowed Ireland to go for the corner and there was no stopping a dynamic lineout drive from the men in green.

Second row Beirne soared to secure possession and the maul surged over, the front row to the fore and van der Flier the scorer. Carbery converted to make it 10-7, a solid response to the early setback.

Kelleher and van der Flier made incisions as Ireland pressed again, but Argentina kept their shape in defence until a pacy move off a scrum, involving James Lowe and Garry Ringrose, had Murray hauled down just five metres short.

Argentina gave away penalties close to their try-line before Ireland mauled infield and Porter, with Doris on the latch, powered in under the posts for his second international try. With Carbery’s conversion, the lead was out to 10 points.

Boffelli had two bad misses from kickable penalties, the latter one after his captain Julian Montoya was first in at the breakdown to get referee Matthew Carley’s decision.

The ever-eager Carreras also went agonisingly close to his second try, knocking on with the try-line in sight after a brilliant break from a ruck.

Adding to the Pumas’ growing frustration, Ireland were clinical from their very next opportunity in the 36th minute, building momentum off a terrific take in the air by Lowe.

Fellow winger Robert Baloucoune was involved twice as the hosts broke back into the 22, and Doris did superbly well to bounce out of a double hit and crash over for his second try in as many games.

A timely shunt from Furlong helped the young number 8 get over the line, and with Carbery adding a sweetly-struck conversion, Ireland were 17 points to the good.

On the negative side, stand-in skipper James Ryan went off for a HIA and did not return. His replacement, Ryan Baird, raised the decibel level with a barnstorming 50-metre run.

Ireland had to soak up some initial pressure early in the second half, the excellent Tadhg Furlong setting the tone with back-to-back tackles on Gallo and scrum half Tomas Cubelli.

The Pumas’ lineout misfired twice in the Irish 22, van der Flier and Kelleher both tidying up at the rear. Baird’s surge from deep, coupled with a ferocious Furlong carry, had Ireland back where they wanted to be.

Pablo Matera’s deliberate knock-on earned him 10 minutes in the sin bin, the resulting penalty kick sent through the uprights by Carbery for a 27-7 scoreline.

The first influx of Farrell’s replacements saw the home back-line rejigged, Harry Byrne and Craig Casey each getting half-an-hour to impress and Carbery switched to full-back. Keenan was given a well-earned rest.

A couple of penalties invited Ireland forward, and although the maul was stopped short, the pack battered away before van der Flier charged into contact and produced a smart finish for his third try in four Tests.

Carbery’s conversion was followed just two minutes later by Argentinian lock Lavanini’s dismissal for a reckless hit on Healy, who was on his knees, at a ruck.

Dusting himself off, Healy was inches away from a try as Ireland lifted the tempo once more to increase the defensive workload for the 14-man Pumas.

Centres Henshaw and Ringrose carried well in the build-up, but a TMO review showed the experienced prop, on his 112th appearance for his country, lost control of the ball in the act of scoring.

Play resumed with a penalty which Byrne flung into the left corner. The lineout drive worked a treat, allowing the 23-year-old Sheehan to break off to the right and used his brute strength to make the line.

Carbery added the extras to stretch the lead to 41-7, and a tiring Argentina leaked two more tries, as the hosts hurtled downfield on the back of a Beirne turnover and a midfield break by Carbery.

Casey and Beirne both went close before Healy muscled his way over in the 71st minute, driven on by Baird and replacement Tom O’Toole at close quarters. Carbery converted.

Nick Timoney, a late call-up to the bench, then picked up a turnover penalty, setting up Carbery to find the left corner. Casey threatened from the resulting maul before Beirne piled over for the final try.

Argentina came hunting for a late consolation score, tapping a penalty in the final play, but replacement Facundo Isa was held up over the try-line in a choke tackle led by Beirne and out-half Byrne.

O’Mahony, who took over as on-field captain following Ryan’s injury-enforced departure, was presented with the Admiral Brown Cup afterwards.

The trophy was first played for between Ireland and Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in November 2012. It is named after Admiral William Brown, the Irish-Argentine who founded the Argentine Navy.