Rugby Union: Canny Ireland cage Pumas

Ireland 32 Argentina 24 Tries: Mostyn 3, Wood Tries: Pichot 2, Scelzo Pens: Humphreys 4 Cons: Quesada 3 Pens: Quesada Half- time: 22-3 Attendance: 15,

USING ARGENTINA as a barometer, Ireland looked in considerably better fettle than their Scottish counterparts one month before the World Cup. Admittedly, forewarned is forearmed, and Ireland were better prepared for the Pumas at Lansdowne Road yesterday, but even so for an hour at any rate it was a controlled and convincing performance.

Sure in everything they did, solid in set-pieces, and varying their game confidently, Ireland kept Argentina in a vice-like grip. Indeed, until they broke free in the final quarter, the Pumas must have felt they had been caged in a zoo.

Entering the final quarter it was 32-3 but, amid the usual plethora of substitutes, Ireland lost their shape. By comparison, Argentina were galvanised by their six substitutions, especially the live-wire scrum-half Agustin Pichot, curiously omitted from the start. Ultimately, however, Ireland regrouped and closed out the game, if not entirely convincingly.

In mitigation of the home side, the remarkable turnaround in the final quarter can at least in part be attributed to the fitness regime which has been put in place five weeks before the World Cup finals and the first hour was probably a truer reflection of where Ireland are in terms of performance. For that first 60 minutes, they looked assured, their scrum meeting the famed Argentinian pack head on while they varied their line- outs well to either maul through the middle or attack off the tail via the athletic Dion O'Cuinneagain.

The Irish captain had also given them a more dynamic presence off the base of the scrum and with David Humphreys attacking the gain line, they probably surprised their detractors with an inventive approach. Most of all, their midfield defence presented an impenetrable green wall until that final quarter.

To begin with, Diego Albanese was warned for taking a swipe at Trevor Brennan. More pertinently, Humphreys kicked Ireland ahead from the ensuing penalty. Both back lines were then in turn offside for Humphreys and Gonzalo Quesada to trade routine penalties, but Ireland began to stretch the Puma defence. Conor O'Shea was tackled into the corner flag and Justin Bishop was unable to pick up with the line at his mercy, but Mauricio Reggiardo was yellow-carded for killing the ball.

Ireland opted for a close in line-out and Keith Wood was at the apex of the drive off Paddy Johns' take for the first try.

The spoiling Argentinians continued to pile in over the top, enabling Humphreys to make it 17-3 moments after Paul Wallace had been helped off to be replaced by Justin Fitzpatrick.

Ireland then scored a well-worked try after stealing a Puma throw on the 22 through O'Cuinneagain. Humphreys floated a double skip pass to Bishop and Brian O'Driscoll straightened the line and provided the link for Matt Mostyn to score in the corner.

Ireland's well-organised defence even denied Argentina a token reply before the interval and better followed four minutes after the resumption when O'Driscoll's pick-up and turn from inside halfway, and O'Cuinneagain's pacey support and offload, released Mostyn for his second try.

From an Argentinian turnover, Wood quick-wittedly kicked ahead for Mostyn to out-spring the Pumas to score his third try. However, the tide turned around the hour mark and intense Puma pressure resulted in a try when Rolando Martin was sent through a huge gap by fellow sub Pichot.

Pichot then linked twice with Martin for another try and added his second when out-sprinting Wood to his own chip ahead for a sharply taken opportunist try, all three of them being converted by Quesada.

Ireland: C O'Shea; J Bishop (both London Irish), B O'Driscoll (Blackrock), K Maggs (Bath), M Mostyn (Galwegians); D Humphreys (Dungannon), T Tierney (Garyowen); P Clohessy (Young Munster), K Wood (Garyowen), P Wallace (Saracens), P Johns (Dungannon), J Davidson (Castres), T Brennan (St Mary's), D O'Cuinneagain (Ballymena, capt), A Ward (Ballynahinch). Replacements: J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon) for Wallace (36); E Miller (Terenure) for Brennan (59); M Mullins (Young Munster) for Maggs (54); M O'Kelly (St Mary's) for Johns (64); E Elwood (Galwegians) for Humphreys (71).

Argentina: M Contepomi (Buenos Aires); O Bartolucci (Rosario), E Simone (Bristol), L Arbizu (Brive, capt), D Albanese; G Quesada, N Fernandez Miranda (all Buenos Aires); R Grau (Saracens), A Canalda (Buenos Aires), M Reggiardo (Castres), A Allub (Rosario), C Fernandez Lobbe, S Phelan, G Longo, L Ostiglia (all Buenos Aires). Replacements: F Contepomi (Newman) for Simone (28); M Scelzo (Buenos Aires) for Reggiardo (h-t); R Martin (Buenos Aires) for Ostiglia (47); A Pichot (Bristol) for Miranda (49); I Corleto (Buenos Aires) for Bartolucci (54); F Alberdi (Buenos Aires) for Grau (71).

Referee: D Bevan (Wales).