WHAT IS THE most important thing for Ireland to get out of this month? Is it four wins and a nice shiny new Nations Championship trophy to take home from the finals weekend in London? Probably not.
Is it revenge against the Springboks, who came here last year and ground Ireland to dust at scrumtime? Again, it would be nice, but not essential.
Is it getting more minutes into those on the fringes of the frontline 23? Important, sure, while not the leading priority.
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Given how the last few Test windows have played out for this squad, the one most pleasing return from the next couple of weeks would be that Ireland come out of the games looking more like the Ireland of old, whatever shape or form that may take.
Maybe that looks like a confident, powerful home win against the Boks. Maybe it just looks like a more connected, competitive battle in that fixture. Perhaps it takes the form of players such as Nick Timoney and Jamie Osborne nudging their way into the first-choice starting team, or fresher faces like Sam Illo or Sean Jansen becoming nailed-on as part of the 23.
The Ireland team take to the field. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
These are all secondary questions to the bigger picture issues, which remain the most pressing. Leading into the 2027 World Cup, this team needs to top up its belief and confidence. As Andy Farrell admitted this week, “Where we are right now, is that good enough to board the plane believing 100% that we’ve a chance to win the World Cup? I don’t think so.”
Well, this group have less than a year to change that. A couple of big results would go a long way, but at this point, performance is just as important as outcomes, if not more so.
This Ireland team have become too prone to compounding errors on any given day, be that handling, discipline or setpiece. They’ve struggled to make the most of opportunities and too often, failed to last the distance with the top teams – to the point Farrell has put a major emphasis on improving fitness levels.
Memorable displays such as the stunning storming of Twickenham earlier this year have been outliers, with tough days against South Africa, France and New Zealand all more instructive over the last 12 months.
And yet, clean up all of the above, and even with an ageing core to their team, Ireland can be serious contenders when they land in Australia next year, knowing they are on the kinder side of the draw.
Ireland win a lineout. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
That journey is now well and truly underway, and for the most part, tonight Ireland delivered a performance full of precision, pace and pressure as they powered past the Pumas with a 42-12 win.
This was another disappointing night on a disappointing run for Argentina. Felipe Contepomi’s team are not a top four side, but at their best they are formidable opposition and – as history demands – a side Ireland will be wary of should their paths cross in Australia next year. They have a serious body of work to get through to get themselves in a position to attack that tournament.
Ireland remain far from the finished product themselves, but this was a highly encouraging start to their November campaign.
Ireland’s first try this evening, arriving 14 minutes in when 5-0 down, was a vintage Farrell-era score, all speed, accuracy and wonderful handling, Sam Prendergast linking nicely with Robbie Henshaw before a flurry of offloads saw Robert Baloucoune and Mack Hansen combine to set Hugo Keenan racing through.
It was beautiful play from the Ireland back three and something this side needs to show more of. With Hansen and Baloucoune as roving wide players, alongside sharp playmakers in Prendergast and Stuart McCloskey, Ireland have a cluster of game-breakers who encourage supporters to the edge of their seats.
Their second try was pleasing in a different way, Ireland lethal from the lineout as Dan Sheehan disguised a pass inside to Nick Timoney, before getting himself in position to collect Craig Casey’s recycle and score.
Ireland responded excellently to going 5-0 down. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Two visits to the 22, two tries. The backs were combining beautifully, Timoney and Joe McCarthy were carrying hard while Tadhg Beirne and Ryan Baird were proving a nuisance at the lineout.
Prendergast kept the pressure on with a lovely, measured kick deep into the 22, the idea and execution all the more impressive given he’d earlier sent a kick straight into the hands of a grateful Puma.
Ireland disrupted the Argentina lineout and went on the attack, Keenan finishing another sharp move which saw the busy trio of Prendergast, Hansen and McCloskey all get hands on ball.
Thirty minutes in, and 21-5 clear, Ireland’s task was to now keep the foot down, last the distance.
The confidence was up, Craig Casey flicking a kick over the top with the outside of his boot, again pinning the Pumas up against their own tryline. Ireland’s forwards choked the maul and forced the scrum, the pressure suffocating a Pumas side who were clinging on.
Nick Timoney was a prominent ball-carrier for Ireland. Billy Stickland / INPHO
It’s been a tough year for Contepomi’s men, who know that when you’re fighting against the current, it can be hard to catch your breath. Moments after losing centre Justo Piccardo to a yellow card, replacement hooker Lionel Oviedo was being penalised for tackling the tumbling Sheehan on the ground, forcing the Ireland captain out of touch as he threatened to notch try number four.
After overcoming a somewhat sticky start, Ireland ended the half with 63% of the possession, 61% of the territory and a fully deserved 16-point lead.
When the half-time message is “more of the same”, you’re in a good place.
A common criticism of this Ireland side is that they have grown too predictable, too prescribed. There is evidence to suggest that is changing. Players like Robert Baloucouneand Tommy O’Brien (not included in tonight’s 23) have added an extra dimension of speed, and over the opening months of the season we’ve seen Prendergast get more out of his running game in Leinster blue. Tonight the out-half brought that to the Test stage, a dummy and burst of pace delivering the first try of the second half just 71 seconds after the restart.
Argentina responded almost immediately, but the gap already looked insurmountable.
Ireland were playing with belief, and when that happens, it rubs off on everyone, Ryan Baird feeling comfortable to throw a wonderful pass to send Keenan over for his hat-trick. The flanker – playing his first Test game in almost a year – stayed on his knees and pumped his fists after playing the key pass in another sharp Ireland move. He is well on track to nailing down that six shirt again.
With over 25 minutes still to play, Ireland already had it tied up neatly. Rónan Kelleher muscled over through a strong lineout maul. Robbie Henshaw and Jamison Gibson-Park worked hard to keep Argentina out, a 30-point cushion no reason to cool their effort. Andrew Porter slipped into tighthead. Ireland remained inventive in how they attacked space. Henshaw chipped through but didn’t have the legs to collect. Hansen tried the same in more confined space, but was captured – just about – upon gathering the bouncing ball.
They kept sniping, looking for the gaps. Running harder, working more. The things a coach loves to see, even if they now lacked that clinical touch.
It wasn’t perfect. Farrell will hone in on moments across the 10-minute periods which opened and closed the first half, how Argentina hit back so quickly after Prendergast’s early second-half score and why Ireland didn’t add to the scoreboard after Kelleher’s effort in the 55th minute, even if the game was long over as a contest. There is no doubt that they left even more scores behind them.
These were minor shortcomings on a night where the home side comprehensively outplayed their visitors. It bodes well for the month ahead, but as we all know, much sterner tests lie in wait.
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Pace, precision and pressure ensure a strong start to Ireland's November campaign
WHAT IS THE most important thing for Ireland to get out of this month? Is it four wins and a nice shiny new Nations Championship trophy to take home from the finals weekend in London? Probably not.
Is it revenge against the Springboks, who came here last year and ground Ireland to dust at scrumtime? Again, it would be nice, but not essential.
Is it getting more minutes into those on the fringes of the frontline 23? Important, sure, while not the leading priority.
Given how the last few Test windows have played out for this squad, the one most pleasing return from the next couple of weeks would be that Ireland come out of the games looking more like the Ireland of old, whatever shape or form that may take.
Maybe that looks like a confident, powerful home win against the Boks. Maybe it just looks like a more connected, competitive battle in that fixture. Perhaps it takes the form of players such as Nick Timoney and Jamie Osborne nudging their way into the first-choice starting team, or fresher faces like Sam Illo or Sean Jansen becoming nailed-on as part of the 23.
These are all secondary questions to the bigger picture issues, which remain the most pressing. Leading into the 2027 World Cup, this team needs to top up its belief and confidence. As Andy Farrell admitted this week, “Where we are right now, is that good enough to board the plane believing 100% that we’ve a chance to win the World Cup? I don’t think so.”
Well, this group have less than a year to change that. A couple of big results would go a long way, but at this point, performance is just as important as outcomes, if not more so.
This Ireland team have become too prone to compounding errors on any given day, be that handling, discipline or setpiece. They’ve struggled to make the most of opportunities and too often, failed to last the distance with the top teams – to the point Farrell has put a major emphasis on improving fitness levels.
Memorable displays such as the stunning storming of Twickenham earlier this year have been outliers, with tough days against South Africa, France and New Zealand all more instructive over the last 12 months.
And yet, clean up all of the above, and even with an ageing core to their team, Ireland can be serious contenders when they land in Australia next year, knowing they are on the kinder side of the draw.
That journey is now well and truly underway, and for the most part, tonight Ireland delivered a performance full of precision, pace and pressure as they powered past the Pumas with a 42-12 win.
This was another disappointing night on a disappointing run for Argentina. Felipe Contepomi’s team are not a top four side, but at their best they are formidable opposition and – as history demands – a side Ireland will be wary of should their paths cross in Australia next year. They have a serious body of work to get through to get themselves in a position to attack that tournament.
Ireland remain far from the finished product themselves, but this was a highly encouraging start to their November campaign.
Ireland’s first try this evening, arriving 14 minutes in when 5-0 down, was a vintage Farrell-era score, all speed, accuracy and wonderful handling, Sam Prendergast linking nicely with Robbie Henshaw before a flurry of offloads saw Robert Baloucoune and Mack Hansen combine to set Hugo Keenan racing through.
It was beautiful play from the Ireland back three and something this side needs to show more of. With Hansen and Baloucoune as roving wide players, alongside sharp playmakers in Prendergast and Stuart McCloskey, Ireland have a cluster of game-breakers who encourage supporters to the edge of their seats.
Their second try was pleasing in a different way, Ireland lethal from the lineout as Dan Sheehan disguised a pass inside to Nick Timoney, before getting himself in position to collect Craig Casey’s recycle and score.
Two visits to the 22, two tries. The backs were combining beautifully, Timoney and Joe McCarthy were carrying hard while Tadhg Beirne and Ryan Baird were proving a nuisance at the lineout.
Prendergast kept the pressure on with a lovely, measured kick deep into the 22, the idea and execution all the more impressive given he’d earlier sent a kick straight into the hands of a grateful Puma.
Ireland disrupted the Argentina lineout and went on the attack, Keenan finishing another sharp move which saw the busy trio of Prendergast, Hansen and McCloskey all get hands on ball.
Thirty minutes in, and 21-5 clear, Ireland’s task was to now keep the foot down, last the distance.
The confidence was up, Craig Casey flicking a kick over the top with the outside of his boot, again pinning the Pumas up against their own tryline. Ireland’s forwards choked the maul and forced the scrum, the pressure suffocating a Pumas side who were clinging on.
It’s been a tough year for Contepomi’s men, who know that when you’re fighting against the current, it can be hard to catch your breath. Moments after losing centre Justo Piccardo to a yellow card, replacement hooker Lionel Oviedo was being penalised for tackling the tumbling Sheehan on the ground, forcing the Ireland captain out of touch as he threatened to notch try number four.
After overcoming a somewhat sticky start, Ireland ended the half with 63% of the possession, 61% of the territory and a fully deserved 16-point lead.
When the half-time message is “more of the same”, you’re in a good place.
A common criticism of this Ireland side is that they have grown too predictable, too prescribed. There is evidence to suggest that is changing. Players like Robert Baloucoune and Tommy O’Brien (not included in tonight’s 23) have added an extra dimension of speed, and over the opening months of the season we’ve seen Prendergast get more out of his running game in Leinster blue. Tonight the out-half brought that to the Test stage, a dummy and burst of pace delivering the first try of the second half just 71 seconds after the restart.
Argentina responded almost immediately, but the gap already looked insurmountable.
Ireland were playing with belief, and when that happens, it rubs off on everyone, Ryan Baird feeling comfortable to throw a wonderful pass to send Keenan over for his hat-trick. The flanker – playing his first Test game in almost a year – stayed on his knees and pumped his fists after playing the key pass in another sharp Ireland move. He is well on track to nailing down that six shirt again.
With over 25 minutes still to play, Ireland already had it tied up neatly. Rónan Kelleher muscled over through a strong lineout maul. Robbie Henshaw and Jamison Gibson-Park worked hard to keep Argentina out, a 30-point cushion no reason to cool their effort. Andrew Porter slipped into tighthead. Ireland remained inventive in how they attacked space. Henshaw chipped through but didn’t have the legs to collect. Hansen tried the same in more confined space, but was captured – just about – upon gathering the bouncing ball.
They kept sniping, looking for the gaps. Running harder, working more. The things a coach loves to see, even if they now lacked that clinical touch.
It wasn’t perfect. Farrell will hone in on moments across the 10-minute periods which opened and closed the first half, how Argentina hit back so quickly after Prendergast’s early second-half score and why Ireland didn’t add to the scoreboard after Kelleher’s effort in the 55th minute, even if the game was long over as a contest. There is no doubt that they left even more scores behind them.
These were minor shortcomings on a night where the home side comprehensively outplayed their visitors. It bodes well for the month ahead, but as we all know, much sterner tests lie in wait.
Comment Ireland Nations Championship Rugby Up and Running