Ireland claimed a hard-fought victory at the Aviva in what proved to be a tale of two halves.
Ireland dominated the opening period, building a commanding 22-9 lead at the break, but failed to add to their tally in a tense second half.
Ireland started brilliantly, overwhelming Argentina with a clinical attacking display that yielded two tries within the first five minutes. Their flowing rugby had the visitors scrambling, and they capped off the first half with an impressive defensive stand on their own line to deny Argentina a crucial score.
However, the second half told a different story. Ireland's performance was hampered by persistent issues – a mounting penalty count that resulted in two yellow cards, handling errors, breakdown struggles, and lineout problems. These failings gave Argentina both points and a territorial advantage.
As the clock wound down, Ireland found themselves desperately hanging on. When the final whistle blew, there was a palpable sense of relief – they had escaped with a win, but it had been far closer than the first-half display suggested it would be.
Here's a look at the individual performances of the Irish team:
Ireland Player Ratings Starting XV:
Hugo Keenan – 7/10
Got on the ball more this week and looked really positive in his attack. Looks short of confidence under some high balls but did very well on the Irish restarts.
Mack Hansen – 6/10
Played with a lot more freedom this week and got over for Ireland’s 2nd try on the night. Physically found wanting in the outside channels in his breakdown work in the 2nd half.
Garry Ringrose – 7/10
Looked sharp on the ball in the 1st half. Came up with a good break to set up Ireland’s 2nd try. Missed a bad tackle on Mallia for their opening try.
Robbie Henshaw – 7/10
Positive in everything he did. Looked very hungry for work. Really smart to offload to Lowe before McCarthy’s try. Never really saw much ball in the 2nd half. - 13 Ball Carries/8 tackles.
Joe McCarthy is over!
Ireland are really turning it on this evening! 💪#AutumnNationsSeries | #IREvARG pic.twitter.com/q51uVvSIFf— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 15, 2024
James Lowe – 6/10
Got off his wing more this week and took advantage of the space the opposition gave him. Needed to keep his concentration in defence as he fell off a few tackles
Jack Crowley – 8/10
A much more attacking mindset this week. Took the game by the scruff of the neck in the 1st half and showed his quality in attack by being more aggressive and flatter. Good side step off his right foot to get over for Ireland’s 1st try. Stunning drop goal in the 20th minute. Execution of a kicking plan needs focus.
Jack Crowley 🎯😍#IREvARG #SUAF ☘️
pic.twitter.com/820QOTvJFG— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) November 15, 2024
Jamison Gibson-Park – 6/10
Didn’t look at his best. Had some good exit kicks but a sluggish performance.
Andrew Porter – 7/10
A big defensive effort with 14 tackles. Gave away another scrum penalty.
Ronan Kelleher – 7/10
Made the key carry before Crowley’s try. Got through a lot of the defence work when Argentina looked to turn the screw. A few Lineout wobbles!!! Faded in the 2nd half after making 18 tackles and slowing a lot of Argentina’s attack.
Finlay Bealham – 5/10
Left with doing a lot of defensive duties with 12 tackles but he just can’t keep giving away penalties he gives away at this level. A needless yellow card.
Joe McCarthy – 8/10
Physically took the fight to Argentina. A key part of Ireland’s excellent defence just before halftime. Got over for an excellent try in the 1st half. A dumb penalty and a needless yellow card in the early stages of the 2nd half put his team under pressure. 14 tackles/11 Carries
Joe McCarthy is over!
Ireland are really turning it on this evening! 💪#AutumnNationsSeries | #IREvARG pic.twitter.com/q51uVvSIFf— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 15, 2024
James Ryan – 7/10
Another night where he did the unseen work. His positive tackles were excellent & a massive double hit with Doris in the 1st half. 14 tackles.
Tadhg Beirne – 7/10
Played with a lot more freedom this week and made big metres for Ireland in the wide channels. Unfortunate not to get over for Ireland’s 3rd try after doing all the hard work. 15 tackles.
Josh Van Der Flier – 8/10
Became a nightmare for the Argentina attack with some outstanding steals at the breakdown. 24 tackles & 14 Ball carries was superhuman effort for a rugby player.
Caelan Doris – 6/10
Worked hard during a testing 2nd half for him as captain. Will be disappointed with the 2 penalties he gave away in the 1st half. - 11 Ball Carries
Ireland Rugby Player Ratings - Replacements:
Rob Herring – 5/10
Had very little impact in his ball carries. Hard to see what he brings to this team.
Cian Healy – 5/10
His 133rd cap and equals the record as Ireland’s most capped player. Made 5 tackles in his 14 minutes on the field.
Thomas Clarkson – 6/10
His first cap came in the 23rd minute. Found himself tested in a solid scrum performance which will give him massive confidence.
Ryan Baird – 5/10
Only on for 2 minutes. – went off injured.
Peter O’Mahony– 6/10
Mopped up some of the many errors for Ireland in the last quarter. Eager to get on the ball when he came on.
Craig Casey – 6/10
Looked sharp at the breakdown for the few rucks he had to attack from.
Sam Prendergast – 6/10
A test debut in the 61st minute for the young Kildare man. Looked confident on the ball and created loads of time for himself. Some nice delayed passes when he came on.
Jamie Osborne – 6/10
Gave Ireland a much needed spark in the 2nd half when they needed it.
Coach – 6/10
It was a night of mixed emotions for Andy Farrell and his coaching team. The opening quarter was better, as Ireland's attack effectively dismantled Argentina's defence. Their attack showed improvement, while the defensive effort in the second quarter proved equally impressive in containing the Argentine threat.
However, what followed will undoubtedly concern the coaching staff. The persistent issue with penalties, in particular, will be a source of frustration for Farrell.
Yet there were significant positives to take from the evening. The team's resilience in defending their line during the final play could prove to be a defining moment in this international window.
The debuts of Clarkson and Prendergast added to the occasion, while the first-half performance showcased passages of play that will boost the team's confidence moving forward.
The challenge now lies in maintaining the standard set in those opening periods.
