O'Gara shines on a grey day

Ireland 16 Argentina 7 Autumn Internationals: Fly-half seals sixth successive win but low-key display leaves as many questions as answers

Hugh Godwin
Sunday 24 November 2002 01:00 GMT
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A curiously emotionless affair, this, in which the collective Celtic and Latin passions only fitfully warmed the shivering masses. Ireland, with Ronan O'Gara's faultless goal-kicking supplying 11 points in addition to Girvan Dempsey's first-half try, finished with a sixth victory out of six in their extended autumn programme. But it is anybody's guess who will prevail when the teams meet on neutral turf at the World Cup next October.

Ireland sloshed to victory over Australia here a fortnight ago, and a puddle on the pitch at the start yesterday hinted that a handling game was never going to gain top billing. Brian O'Driscoll's early dart from deep was a rare example of the stand-in captain's running ability; more often than not he was to be seen applying boot to ball, and wisely so. Rain in Dublin in November is not unexpected, but the sheer quantity of late has made a mess of a surface that is only halfway through an overhaul of its drainage system. "It's lucky we were playing rugby, not football out there," O'Driscoll said afterwards. "The conditions made a lottery of the match," added his coach, Eddie O'Sullivan.

So in the absence of fireworks on the flanks, we were fed a diet of menace at close quarters. The tone was set in the second minute when Justin Bishop was wrapped up in a tackle by Santiago Phelan, and the Pumas won a penalty for the London Irish wing not releasing. Felipe Contepomi fancied his chances from wide on the right but the attempt fell short.

The breeze was clearly a factor, given O'Gara's decision to go for touch from a similar 50-metre distance to Contepomi's effort a couple of minutes later when Argentina killed an Irish ruck. That was one of two attacking line-outs in quick succession that came to nothing for Ireland, but they were encouraged by a turnover gained from wheeling a scrum, supposedly the Pumas' strongest suit.

Contepomi's scudding kick then drew a knock-on from Dempsey, although the full-back may have had one eye on the mini-pond just behind him on Ireland's 22. A swift pick-up at a scrum by Gonzalo Longo gave Contepomi time to send a high cross-kick towards the left corner, but Dempsey sprinted across to make a tidy catch, one of several impressive contributions in testing circumstances.

As the rain increased in intensity, so the hoisted kick was likely to be popular. And Ireland profited from it with the first try, with 20 minutes gone. They won a ruck on the Pumas' 22, O'Gara fired a miss-pass out to O'Driscoll, who punted skywards. Ignacio Corleto was handily positioned but momentarily lost his bearings, and as the ball squirted from him, Dempsey charged in to pick up and batter past Gonzalo Camardon's attempted tackle to the line.

O'Gara converted for 7-0, but the Pumas were not long in replying. A bizarre score it was, too, as Shane Horgan and Dempsey shepherded a ball into touch 15 metres from the Irish line, only for the quick-thinking Diego Albanese to throw in to the equally alert Rolando Martin. The flanker trotted over for the try while Ireland stood and stared, though it needed a conflab between referee Chris White and his touch judges to confirm that all was above board.

Contepomi's conversion amid a general air of bemusement made it 7-7, then Ireland lost Gary Longwell to a shoulder injury after a heavy tackle by Mario Ledesma. Leo Cullen took Longwell's place at the heart of the scrum, where the Pumas' discomfort continued, confirming Ireland's private belief that the Argentine pack is not all it is routinely cracked up to be. Crack they did at the next scrum, and O'Gara kicked a penalty from 35 metres out, to nudge Ireland ahead at half-time.

Resuming the offensive in pragmatic fashion, O'Driscoll dabbed a kick down the short side after 47 minutes, and Corleto had to move quickly to thwart Bishop's chase. Twice O'Gara twice spilled passes which had the hospital hallmark about them, but Ireland kept pressing.

Agustin Pichot back-pedalled to hack away a box-kick from his opposite number, Peter Stringer, Ireland won a penalty from the line-out and O'Gara made it 13-7. Another straightforward shot at goal came the fly-half's way when Contepomi dived over a ruck after 65 minutes, and the Irish lead was extended into the two-score comfort zone.

While Ireland's line-out was in good shape, the Pumas were unable to gain any kind of attacking foothold.

O'Driscoll sliced yet another cross-kick as the heavens opened again, and the final whistle, though heralding an Irish record-equalling sixth straight win, was also something of a merciful relief. On a dry track in Adelaide 11 months hence, these teams may yet produce something special, but not yesterday.

Ireland 16 Argentina 7
Tries: Dempsey Tries: Martin
Cons: O'Gara Cons: Contepomi
Pens: O'Gara 3

Half-time: 10-7 Attendance: 40,000

Ireland: G Dempsey (Leicester); S Horgan (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), K Maggs (Bath), J Bishop (London Irish); R O'Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster); R Corrigan (Leinster), S Byrne (Leinster), J Hayes (Munster); G Longwell, M O'Kelly (Leinster), V Costello, A Foley (Munster), K Gleeson. Replacements: M Horan (Munster) for Corrigan, 74; L Cullen (Leinster) for Longwell, 27; A Quinlan (Munster) for Costello, 73.

Argentina: I Corleto (Stade Français); G Camardon (Roma), J Orengo (Grenoble), L Arbizu (Bordeaux-Bégles), D Albanese (Leeds); F Contepomi (Bristol), A Pichot (Bristol); M Reggiardo (Castres), M Ledesma (Narbonne), O Hasan (Agen), I Fernandez Lobbe (Castres), R Alvarez (Perpignan), S Phelan (CASI), G Longo (Narbonne), R Martin (SIC). Replacements: P L Sporleder (Curupayti) for Alvarez, 63; N Fernandez Miranda (Natal) for Arbizu, 69; M Durand (Champagnat) for Phelan, 76.

Referee: C White (England).

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