Ireland set a new record of 10 home wins in-a-row as they broke clear of Argentina in the final quarter to win their opening GUINNESS Series Test 28-17 at the Aviva Stadium.
With a much-changed line-up for their first home outing of the international season, there was a degree of ring rust to Ireland’s play, but they got the job done against a combative Argentina side coming off the back of the Rugby Championship.
Tries from Connacht duo Kieran Marmion (8 minutes) and Bundee Aki (24), added to by Jonathan Sexton’s 38th-minute penalty, gave Ireland a 15-14 half-time lead despite some scrappy phases and errors. Nicolas Sanchez kicked three penalties and had a hand in Bautista Delguy’s try on the quarter hour mark.
The Pumas retook the lead with Sanchez’s fourth successful penalty, but Joe Schmidt’s men turned the screw during the closing half-an-hour. Replacement Luke McGrath’s second try in the space of a week was followed by a 75th-minute penalty from Sexton to produce an almost identical scoreline to last November’s clash.
The victory came at a cost, though, as the luckless Sean O’Brien broke his forearm during his first international appearance in twelve months, and Marmion rolled his ankle nearing the hour mark. O’Brien’s replacement Dan Leavy went on to have a fine game, running tireless lock James Ryan close for the man-of-the-match award.
Ireland went into the match without Robbie Henshaw who felt some tightness in his hamstring during the warm-up. His late withdrawal from the team brought Will Addison in for his full debut at outside centre. The pacy Ulster back had three touches inside the opening minute as Ireland looked to play their way out of the 22 from the kick-off.
However, with Jordan Larmour isolated on the ground by Matias Orlando, a brilliant long-range kick from Sanchez, the top scorer in the recent Rugby Championship, gave Argentina a second-minute lead. Peter O’Mahony returned the favour, his efforts at the breakdown seeing the hosts work their way down the right touchline from successive penalties and lineouts.
CJ Stander was held up, TMO David Grashoff ruling that there was no clear and obvious grounding, before the resulting scrum won a penalty and the advantage allowed the ever-alert Marmion to snipe over despite Sanchez’s tackle. Sexton pulled the right-sided conversion away to the left, and Argentina wasted little time in responding.
Ramiro Moyano plucked the restart kick out of the air, and with O’Mahony then penalised for tackling a player without the ball, Sanchez’s 11th-minute strike made it 6-5. Addison’s good work in tapping back the restart was undone by an Argentinian lineout steal and the visitors gained further ground after a high tackle from O’Brien.
Off a set scrum, centre Orlando burst through attempted tackles from Sexton and Aki, the Pumas flooding through into the 22 with Sanchez having to be hauled down short. The Irish defence was caught for numbers on the right as quick recycling and crisp passing put winger Delguy over untouched in the corner, the conversion going narrowly wide.
A power-packed Irish scrum, won against the head, made up for a fumble between Iain Henderson and Ryan from a lineout, and after the latter scrambled up close to Argentina’s line, Ireland kept the pressure on and Aki found a chink the defence to score from close range via a Marmion feed. Sexton’s conversion moved the men in green back in front – 12-11.
Addison had to tidy up a dangerous garryowen from Sanchez, which Larmour missed under pressure from Emiliano Boffelli. Hard-won possession and territory from a maul turnover and scrum penalty were given up when Ryan was pressured into another knock-on at a lineout. Minutes later, Aki was singled out for a late tackle on Sanchez who mopped up with the three points.
O’Brien had to go off shortly afterwards, having damaged his right arm in a tackle. Play resumed with Sexton clearing the crossbar with a thumping penalty from just inside the Argentinian half, giving the Grand Slam champions a 15-14 advantage less than two minutes before the interval.
Sanchez, who sent a drop goal attempt wide in the last act of the opening half, kicked a penalty, two minutes after the restart, to move the Pumas ahead again. Having been the one penalised, Leavy responded with a muscular turnover but a subsequent penalty effort – right on the edge of Sexton’s range – fell short of the target.
Ireland’s lineout issues continued with Guido Petti pinching a throw from returning captain Rory Best to spoil a promising attacking position, and a Boffelli break and kick through required Sexton to cover the danger. Better carrying from Leavy, Aki and Addison poked holes in the Argentinian defence, with the visitors’ indiscipline bringing about a warning from referee Nic Berry.
Sexton’s 57th-minute penalty, from inside Argentina’s 10-metre line, gave Ireland an 18-17 lead as they entered the final quarter with Luke McGrath on for the injured Marmion, and Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin and Devin Toner tagging in up front.
Improved continuity saw the Ryan-inspired hosts go through 20 phases, Addison also tidying up to release Larmour for a kick through which gave Argentina a lineout, five metres from their own line. O’Mahony, who had taken over the captaincy following Best’s withdrawal, got up at the front to steal the lineout, launching some more direct play from the forwards.
The hard-carrying Leavy went close to burrowing over underneath the posts, but from the resulting scrum, number 8 Stander played an advantage and fed Luke McGrath who cleverly stepped inside a wrong-footed Pablo Matera to dive over just beside the posts.
McGrath’s well-taken try was comfortably converted by Sexton to open up an eight-point cushion, and although Ireland had no points to show for a scrum penalty won by the newly-introduced Andrew Porter, Aki soon broke a tackle to get the Irish attack firing again.
O’Mahony popped up twice amid some quick-witted interplay on the right wing, and with Tomas Lavanini infringing further infield, Sexton took the points on offer with just under five minutes remaining. The Irish bench was emptied for the conclusion, during which the wily O’Mahony stole possession at a Pumas maul to ensure the game finished well away from Ireland’s 22.
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