Argentina Preview

Don't cry for me Argentina. The truth is, I never loved you. Anyhow, that's enough of Eva Peron. Fast forwarding to the present, the top dogs of European rugby [yes it's us, according to the Six Nations final table] have two tricky back-to-back assignments against the finest XV that South America has to offer. Admittedly, great rugby teams are thin on the ground in the south Atlantic.

Well, Ireland are travelling to the southern hemisphere with a number of notable absentees as well as containing a tour party of some fringe players who will be auditioning for a greater role in future skirmishes if they can impress against the formidable Pumas. Ireland are carrying a very good pool of players, so there ought to be enough quality to ensure that we are at the very least competitive. I think that it would be a real shame if we don't at least draw the two-match series. Anything less would be a demoralising backwards steps after the morale-boosting advance of the Six Nations triumph of February and March. Of course, the Irish contingent would dearly like to blood new players, but above all else, let's try to build a commanding lead in at least one of the two matches before we start drafting newbies into the action. Ireland have got into a winning habit of late, and it would be good to sustain that momentum over the next two weeks. However, perhaps the dilemma for Joe Schmidt's brains trust is whether it is more important to look at new options and alternative players [and possibly lose] or concentrate on winning each match, even if several squad players are left out in the cold, and merely relegated to suitcase-carrying duties.

Of course, Ireland have never won in Argentina, after three failed attempts there, while the Pumas have been equally unsuccessful on their trips to the Emerald Isle. Can the green warriors make history by becoming the first team to win an away match between the two protagonists, after a history of ten home wins between the two belligerents. Admittedly, Ireland did play twice against Argentina in 1952 and again in 1970 each time in Buenos Aires, but such encounters were not classified as full internationals by the Oirish rugby football union. Ireland's record in 'official' test matches in Argentina is as follows:

3rd of June 2000: Argentina 34 IRELAND 23; in Buenos Aires

Bishop, Henderson, and O'Kelly recorded tries, while Humphreys kicked eight points. However, Quesada kicked nineteen points for the home team. 

26th of May 2007: Argentina 22 IRELAND 20; in Santa Fe

The visitors benefited from a penalty try and a try for winger Brian Carney, but the hosts had Felipe Contepomi to thank, after he kicked seventeen points.

2nd of June 2007: Argentina 16 IRELAND 0; in Buenos Aires

Manuel Contepomi recorded the match's only try. Federico Todeschini converted the try and kicked three penalties, in front of forty thousand spectators.

REVISED 29-man IRELAND SQUAD, comprising two players from Connacht, eleven from Leinster, seven from Munster, eight from Ulster, plus Jonny Sexton:

Forwards:

R Ah You (Connacht) *, R Best (Ulster), J Cronin (Munster) *, R Diack (Ulster) *, I Henderson (Ulster), C Henry (Ulster), J Heaslip (Leinster), R Herring (Ulster) *, D Kilcoyne (Munster), J McGrath (Leinster), J Murphy (Leinster), P O’Connell (Munster), M Ross (Leinster), R Ruddock (Leinster), D Toner (Leinster), D Varley (Munster).

Backs:

D Cave (Ulster), F Jones (Munster), R Kearney (Leinster), I Madigan (Leinster), K Marmion (Connacht) *, L Marshall (Ulster), F McFadden (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), N Reid (Leinster) *, J Sexton (Racing Metro), A Trimble (Ulster), S Zebo (Munster).

*Denotes an uncapped player, of which there are six.