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Argentina produced one of their finest performances in their history to upset the odds and beat Ireland 43-20 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
The Pumas surged out to a 17-0 lead through tries from Matias Moroni and Juan Imhoff, before Ireland finally got on the board through an Ian Madigan penalty.
The Irish regrouped and began to assert themselves on the Pumas, and they eventually got the try they needed to get back into the game through replacement wing Luke Fitzgerald. The game was well and truly on when Fiztgerald broke free again and sent the flanker Jordi Murphy over next to the posts to make it a three-point game at 20-17.
However, Argentina had plenty left in the tank and scored two more tries through Imhoff and full-back Joaquin Tuculet, while fly-half Nicolas Sanchez kept the scoreboard ticking over.
So how did the players perform in Cardiff? Cklick on the gallery below to find out.
Show all 30 1 /30Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings <b>Ireland:</b> Rob Kearney – 6 out of 10 Asserted himself in the air early on, but the first high ball he lost led to Matias Moroni’s opening try. Tried to bring himself into the game like he did against France, but a lack of creativity meant that he was often left frustrated.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Tommy Bowe – 5 out of 10 Desperately unlucky to pick up an early injury that forced him off. His replacement, Luke Fitzgerald, certainly made an impact though.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Keith Earls – 5 out of 10 Took a big hit after passing from Ramiro Herrera that left him clutching his shoulder. He wasn’t at his best though, and had minimal impact on the game.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Robbie Henshaw – 6 out of 10 Tried his hardest to get Ireland back into it even when the game had gone. Showed his powerful running on occasion but was well shackled by the Pumas back-row.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Dave Kearney – 4 out of 10 His inclusion ahead of Simon Zebo and Fitzgerald remained questionable as he did little to justify his selection. Defensively vulnerable after he switched to the right wing following Bowe’s departure.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Ian Madigan – 5 out of 10 Started off well as he landed his opening penalty, and as Ireland’s pack grew in stature he marshalled them well. Lost his way as time went on though, and with his head down he started missing his kicks. Overall, a bit of a disappointment.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Conor Murray – 6 out of 10 His box-kicking remains of the highest calibre and his passing was accurate and quick. He was slightly starved of the ball though, and that saw his impact lessened.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Conor Murray – 6 out of 10 Rather unusually for him, he struggled in the scrum and Herrera got the better of him on more than one occasion. Did well in defence though including one important turnover when Ireland were under the cosh – not that it mattered in the end.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Rory Best – 7 out of 10 Stood out when Ireland fought back into the game and he almost played like an extra seven. Kept cropping up in pivotal moments, and his departure coincided with the turning of the tide.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Mike Ross – 5 out of 10 Struggled against Ayerza in the scrum as most international tightheads do. Fairly anonymous in the loose, and it wasn’t one of his best days. Replaced by Nathan White towards the hour mark.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Devin Toner – 5 out of 10 Struggled to run the lineout without O’Connell next to him which severely impacted the amount of ball Ireland saw in the set-piece.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Iain Henderson – 5 out of 10 Not as prevalent as he has been in his previous outings and out-muscled regularly in the tackle. Had the difficult task of replacing Paul O’Connell, but this showing revealed that he still has much to learn to emulate the Irish talisman.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Jordi Murphy – 6 out of 10 Supported Fitzgerald well to bag his try and at that point Ireland looked to be the dominant side. He was anonymous at the breakdown though, and that proved to be one of Ireland’s many undoings.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Chris Henry – 6 out of 10 One of the standout players as Ireland got back into the mix. He carried well and tackled efficiently, although he couldn’t impose on the breakdown in the same fashion as Sean O’Brien.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Jamie Heaslip – 5 out of 10 Ireland’s improvement came when Heaslip started to carry more, but he was absent for the first 20 minutes and disappeared again when they needed him most in the closing stages.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Joaquin Tuculet 8 out of 10 Brilliant with the ball in hand and reliable at the back when tested by Madigan. He showed exceptional awareness to touch the ball down over his head for his try, which broke the Irish spirit and killed off the game.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Santiago Cordero 8 out of 10 Started off like a house on fire as he drew in the Irish defence before releasing Moroni for the opening try. He continued to press on and threaten the Irish defence with regular success, setting up the second for Imhoff.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Matías Moroni – 7 out of 10 Picked up where he left off in the pool stage as he bagged the first try early on. Exposed a little defensively though, as Ireland took advantage on the left for the little success they had.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Juan Martin Hernandez – 7 out of 10 For once he wasn’t the star of the show, but that seemed to benefit the Pumas as Hernendez kept things moving and did the basics to an exceptional level.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Juan Imhoff – 8 out of 10 The devastating wing bagged two tries on one of his best outings in the blue and white shirt. His first came from good team work that released him to chase Cordero’s chip and touch down in time, while his second saw him take the ball off Lobbe and race clear after stepping past Rob Kearney.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Nicolas Sanchez – 8 out of 10 His kicking was first class as he kept the scoreboard ticking over and he utilised those outside him to run Ireland ragged.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Martin Landajo – 7 out of 10 Selected ahead of the exciting Tomas Cubelli but he hardly put a foot wrong all game.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Marcos Ayerza – 7 out of 10 Gave Ross all kinds of trouble in the scrum and he is possibly the best scrimmaging loosehead currently playing the game. Looked cream-crackered when he departed, and certainly put it all on the line for his country.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Agustin Creevy – 6 out of 10 The Argies have always had a prominent scrum but he began to struggle as the game wore on and it led to his early withdrawal in the second half. Has played a lot of rugby though and tiredness may have been a factor, and it must be said his lineouts were on the money.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Ramiro Herrera – 5 out of 10 Argentina’s only blemish in that Herrera should have been red carded. Given a yellow for a late shoulder charge on Earls in the first-half, his reckless charge on Best was after the ball had gone and was only meant to hurt the hooker. Referee Jerome Garces bottled the decision to give him a second yellow.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Guido Petti – 7 out of 10 Followed the path taken by Lavanini, although he managed to get his hands on the ball more and take on a shed-load of responsibility in getting beyond the gain line.
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Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Tomas Lavanini – 7 out of 10 One of Argentina’s standout players this term, he controlled the lineout and took the fight to Ireland in the air.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Pablo Matera – 7 out of 10 Brilliant in defence as he chopped down the Irish forwards around the fringes. Showed a mature head on his young shoulders to disrupt the opposition in the ruck.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe – 8 out of 10 Outstanding in the loose as his sheer size and strength gave the Irish defence all sorts of problems. Those dangers resulted in Lobbe striding through the line to release Imhoff for his second.
Ireland 20 Argentina 43 player ratings Leonardo Senatore – 7 out of 10 Sacrificed when Argentina went down to 14 and needed a prop, but he carried well when he returned to the affray.
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