Ireland End Series With Crucial Win Over Pumas

Four successful kicks from the boot of Ronan O’Gara and a try in the closing stages from Tommy Bowe helped Ireland to a much-needed 17-3 GUINNESS Series victory over Argentina at Croke Park on Saturday.

THE MATCH – AS IT HAPPENED

The 14-point win had added importance as it confirmed Ireland as the eighth-ranked team for the 2011 Rugby World Cup pool allocation draw, which takes place in London on December 1.

The second victory of Declan Kidney’s coaching reign was a hard-fought one as despite missing the injured Felipe Contepomi and Juan Martin Hernandez, Argentina more than put it up to the hosts.

Number 10 Hernandez injured himself in the warm-up and his place in the Pumas starting line-up went to Hindu clubman Santiago Fernandez, who made his first start at short notice.

After an earlier miss, Fernandez slotted a 36th minute penalty to nudge the visitors in front, but GUINNESS man-of-the-match Ronan O’Gara, who had given away that penalty, set up a 3-3 half-time score with a well-struck effort three minutes later.

The game, which contained a large amount of errors and ended in ill-tempered fashion, was finely-balanced until a penalty and drop goal from O’Gara, either side of the hour mark, sent Ireland 9-3 ahead.

With Argentina losing their discipline and shape in front of a 68,352-strong crowd, the nail in the coffin came in the 77th minute.

O’Gara right-footed an inch perfect cross-field kick out to the right wing where Tommy Bowe let it bounce and sit up for him to run in his third try of the GUINNESS Series.

While Ireland’s overall performance left a lot to be desired, the result was all that mattered as the men in green posted their first win over Argentina since an O’Gara-inspired 21-19 success at Lansdowne Road in November 2004.

Munster youngster Donnacha Ryan also got on late to make his Test debut, but on the minus side, his provincial colleagues Jerry Flannery and David Wallace both shipped injuries.

Flannery went off in the first half with a knee injury, while Wallace, who took a stray arm in the face, had to be stretchered off late on.

MATCH SUMMARY:

TIME LINE – 23 minutes – Ireland penalty: missed by Ronan O’Gara – 0-0; 31 mins – Argentina penalty: missed by Santiago Fernandez – 0-0; 36 mins – Argentina penalty: Santiago Fernandez – 0-3; 39 mins – Ireland penalty: Ronan O’Gara – 3-3; Half-time – Ireland 3 Argentina 3; 42 mins – Argentina penalty: missed by Santiago Fernandez – 3-3; 50 mins – Ireland penalty: Ronan O’Gara – 6-3; 63 mins – Ireland penalty: missed by Ronan O’Gara – 6-3; 69 mins – Ireland drop goal: Ronan O’Gara – 9-3; 72 mins – Ireland penalty: missed by Ronan O’Gara – 9-3; 75 mins – Ireland penalty: Ronan O’Gara – 12-3; 77 mins – Ireland try: Tommy Bowe – 17-3; conversion: missed by Ronan O’Gara – 17-3; 79 mins – Argentina sin-binning: Rodrigo Roncero (back chat); Full-time – Ireland 17 Argentina 3

IRELAND: Geordan Murphy; Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney; Ronan O’Gara, Tomas O’Leary; Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Stephen Ferris, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements used: Rory Best for Flannery (14 mins), Donnacha Ryan for Wallace (76). Not used: Tony Buckley, Malcolm O’Kelly, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Wallace, Keith Earls.

ARGENTINA: Horacio Agulla; Francisco Leonelli, Federico Martin Aramburu, Miguel Avramovic, Rafael Carballo; Santiago Fernandez, Nicolas Vergallo; Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma, Juan Pablo Orlandi, Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, Patricio Albacete, Martin Durand, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (capt), Juan Manuel Leguizamon.

Replacements used: Marcos Ayerza for Orlandi (48 mins), Esteban Lozada for Alvarez Kairelis (55), Agustin Figuerola for Vergallo, Bernard Stortoni for Leonelli (both 61). Not used: Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Alvaro Galindo, Mauro Comuzzi.

Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)