Ireland hoping normal service will resume against Argentina

Ireland look to get back on the horse, after their chastening 13-23 defeat to New Zealand last weekend, when they entertain a dangerous Argentinean side in their second Autumn Nations Series fixture this Friday at the Aviva Stadium.

Given that Ireland were out for a bit of revenge after their heartbreaking World Cup quarter-final defeat at the hands of the All Blacks in Paris last year the flatness of Ireland’s display took a lot of people by surprise.

The Irish performance last Friday was extremely error-ridden, to put it mildly. 

There were 30 tackles missed by Irish players over the course of the 80 minutes, and the Irish team also coughed up a phenomenal 21 handling errors. 

Discipline was also an issue, with them conceding 13 penalties throughout the game, with all these negative statistics adding up to ensure that Andy Farrell’s side never had the control or possession they required to put themselves into a winning position last weekend.

Ireland's Jack Crowley (left) celebrates scoring a penalty during the Autumn international match at Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

Another indicator that Ireland severely underperformed was the fact that 10 of their 13 points came when Jordie Barrett was in the sin bin. 

They only managed three measly points over the course of the rest of the 70 minutes. 

This was hardly the performance of the world’s number one side.

In saying all that, Ireland managed to be leading the game by 13-9 when Andy Farrell decided to make a change at outhalf in the 57th minute, with Jack Crowley being replaced by Leinster’s Ciaran Frawley. 

It certainly was not Crowley’s finest game in green to date, but the Innishannon native’s withdrawal signalled the moment that Ireland completely collapsed as an attacking entity, as New Zealand cruised to victory afterwards.

Frawley may have been the hero in the summer Test victory over South Africa in Durban, with his two brilliant drop goals, but the occasion seemed too much for him on Friday, as he made error after error upon his introduction. 

He deserves another bite at the cherry, but a similar cameo this weekend might see the Skerries man cut in the manner of Billy Burns back in 2021.

A lot has been made of the Dad’s Army look of the Irish bench last week, with Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Ian Henderson and Rob Herring all being sprung from the pine. 

If their respective introductions had been a springboard to victory it would no doubt have been hailed as a master stroke by Farrell, but in defeat it has magnified Ireland’s seeming unwillingness to plan for the future, as they instead continue to pick players aged 37, 35, 35, 32 and 34 three years out from the next World Cup.

Argentina looked in flying form last Saturday, as they scored seven tries in the process of completely dismantling Italy by 18-50 in Udine. 

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell before the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Five of those five-pointers were scored by members of the Pumas backline, which is a clear illustration of their willingness to move the ball, and this makes Felipe Contepomi’s side an extremely dangerous one this weekend.

Argentina have had some famous victories over Ireland in their history, but they have never managed to beat Ireland in Dublin. 

Given their form this year, they might feel that this is their greatest opportunity to do so. 

They beat France 33-25 in July, then scalped the All Blacks on New Zealand soil by 30-38 in August, before beating both South Africa and Australia in September by scorelines of 29-28 and 67-27, respectively. 

If Ireland take this challenge lightly they are more than likely going to come unstuck, as the Pumas are on the hunt for yet another big scalp.

Last Friday’s defeat on home soil, for the first time in three and a half years, will surely have focused the Irish minds. 

A response is expected. If we do not get one, then there will be serious questions as to what direction this Irish team is headed.