Ireland Rugby

Ireland struggled to outlast a game Argentina squad, eventually scrapping their way to a 23-17 win. The Irish touring team was something of a letdown in the first half.

There was very little pace and imagination on display. By contrast, Argentina carefully followed a plan based on countering with speed.

It was a simple formula that produced the game's first try. Joaquin Tuculet bolted his way over:

But his score hardly awoke Ireland from their slumbers. Their play continued to lack focus, while the pace was modest at best.

That left the Irish surprisingly trailing their South American hosts by a point at intermission:

But all that changed after the break, as the Irish wasted little time taking charge. While they had been plodding before halftime, the Irish were quicker to the ball in the second period.

There was also more drive and aggression in the scrum. Those qualities created plenty of quick-strike opportunities.

There had been an early blow for the 2014 RBS Six Nations champions, when Conor Murray succumbed to a dead leg. Fortunately, Ireland could call on a capable deputy for the scrum-half:

Argentina did not possess the same strength in depth. That issue proved particularly costly in the second half, once Nicolas Sanchez was blighted by consistent cramps.

Sanchez is often the focal point for Argentina's quick-breaking Rugby. Whenever he required treatment, the South Americans lost their impetus.

But Argentina remained plucky and were eager to match the Irish power for power in every scrimmage. However, Ireland consistently dominated the scrum.

Their scrum-halves routinely drove the Argentines over the ball to re-establish control. Essentially, the Irish relied on a wear-down approach that worked to perfection in the second period.

Eventually, Leinster ace Ian Madigan capitalised on some smart ball retention to weave his way through tired-looking resistance to score the clinching try.

Some Argentinian pride was salvaged when Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino sprinted his way to a consolation score late on. That gave the final tally a more respectable look:

Although the Irish had secured a test win, many were left unimpressed by their display, including Limerick Leader Rugby Correspondent Colm Kinsella:

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt dubbed the game "an exercise in frustration," in his post-match comments, per Sky Sports Video. Schmidt was quick to point out that his squad must improve when they take on South Africa: "We know that that's not going to be near good enough when we come to South Africa in November."

Schmidt's words are telling. The Irish will have to be a lot more assertive against a stronger, faster opponent than the one they faced in South America.

If not, then Schmidt's team will be overrun this November.

Ireland got the better of Argentina in Resistencia, running out 29-17 winners to claim a historical victory. Tries from Chris Henry, Jonathan Sexton and Andrew Trimble helped the men in green to their first-ever triumph on Argentinean soil, as they had far too much for their hosts.

It was an admittedly understrength Pumas outfit, as Argentina have chosen to do without any European-based players for the two-test series, and it showed. Aside from a stunning try in the first half from Manuel Montero, they demonstrated little cutting edge in dangerous areas, making bad decisions regularly and a host of costly errors.

Ireland started by far the better of the two sides, putting their opponents under pressure in the infancy of the clash. The men in green were strong in the tackle and sharp in their passing, creating a few early openings that they were unable to fully capitalise on.

But they didn’t have to wait long before getting on the scoreboard, as Sexton kicked over a penalty with 10 minutes on the clock.

The Irish continued to be aggressive in the early exchanges, and they were beginning to force elementary mistakes from their opponents. The Pumas conceded another penalty as the clock ticked toward the 20-minute mark, and Sexton doubled Ireland’s advantage.

Nicolas Sanchez soon reduced the deficit, though, as he kicked over a close-range penalty. The Argentina crowd were up on their feet at that point, but not long after they were to be treated to something truly spectacular.

The Six Nations champions lost the ball inside their own half, and it was picked up by the elusive Sanchez who burst forward, selling a wonderful dummy to the Irish defence. He fed Montero who handed off a couple of Irish players before finishing superbly in the corner.

It stirred memories of a certain Jonah Lomu, as noted here by Dr. Tom Markham:

Sanchez added the extra points with a smart conversion, and the hosts were suddenly 10-6 ahead.

But this Irish side have shown on plenty of occasions that they are made of pretty stern stuff, and as you would expect, they came battling back.

They were awarded a penalty, opted for the line-out, and upon winning that, a maul. Driven forward by their imposing skipper, Paul O’Connell—who was making his 100th test appearance for Ireland—they pushed toward the Pumas’ try line, with Henry eventually touching down for the score.

It was a bit of a mess, truth be told, as you can see here courtesy of Sky Sports, but they all count!:

Sexton couldn’t add the extra points from a tight angle, but the Irish went into the half-time break with a slender 11-10 advantage.

After the interval, it was the visitors who were quickest off the mark once again. A slick move saw Sexton feed Luke Marshall, then Marshall return the favour before the Irish No. 10 finished superbly. His conversion shaved the outside of the post, but Ireland were 16-10 up.

Argentina looked to counter-attack and some smart kicking from deep saw the Pumas get in behind the Irish on a couple of occasions immediately after the concession of that try. But they were naive in their passing and squandered their dangerous territory. Their inexperience was compounded and punished in the 57th minute.

Andrew Trimble telegraphed a pass with Argentina up the pitch, and he had the simple task of strolling over the line to extend Ireland’s advantage. It was increased further by Sexton, who added the extras and put Ireland 23-10 up.

After that try, the Irish began to enjoy themselves, while Argentina heads went down. Darren Cave had what would have been a sumptuous try chalked off after a fluid move; Sky Sports provide us with an indication of just how close he was to scoring:

But the Irish kept the scoreboard ticking over as Ian Madigan—a replacement for Sexton—slotted a penalty from close range. He added another three points a couple of minutes later to make the lead 19 points.

A flurry of changes late on saw the rhythm drift out of the game, and Ireland switched off very late on, allowing Tomas de la Vega to burst through their back line and bag another try, to which Sanchez added the extra points. The game finished 29-17 in favour of the visitors.

It’s difficult to see anything but a comfortable Ireland win in the series. They were far superior to the hosts in all areas on the field, in the line-out and in the scrum. Even when this Argentina side looked to put visitors under pressure—aside from some individual brilliance from Montero—they were able to snuff out easily.

Argentina just don’t look to be the same force without some of their key figures. They really missed the guile of Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Juan Martin Hernandez in the back row, and without that duo, it’s difficult to see the Pumas causing any major problems for this strong Irish defence.

Post-match reaction to follow.

Ireland’s Six Nations success swept the country on their return home from Paris, with hordes of fans greeting the players at Dublin Airport.

As is customary on such occasions, the players stopped for autographs and photos with their supporters, but young Leinster back rower Jordi Murphy inadvertently gave away something much more valuable than his signature.

After a request from a young fan for a keepsake from his hero, Murphy handed over his hoodie, still containing his winner’s medal in the pocket!

But the youngster was honest as the day is long, and his dad made sure the piece of silverware was returned to its rightful owner, for which Murphy was hugely thankful!

Murphy isn’t the first player to lose such a valuable possession only for it to be returned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYNyc_myTz0

Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid ensured the Spanish Copa del Rey trophy would never be the same again after dropping it from the top deck of the team’s open top bus only for the driver to run it over.

Officials and emergency service personnel salvaged the silverware and it was hurriedly put back inside the bus.

Then there was the story of Muhammad Ali, who won Olympic boxing gold in 1960.

It was reported later that he threw the medal into the Ohio River after being refused service at a diner, but, as recalled by the Guardian, that was never the case.

He simply lost it, and was awarded a replacement during half-time of a basketball game at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

So, Murphy is in exalted company of sportsmen to lose their prized possessions only to get them back.

Honesty, in this case, was definitely the best policy.

Thanks to Balls.ie for the story.

Ireland's rise to their second Six Nations title—their first in five years—showed dominance, desire and destruction on their way to the top.

Brian O'Driscoll made his final appearance for his country in the 22-20 victory over France to seal the tournament win and make cap number 141 special in many ways.

Unbeaten at the Aviva Stadium and with just one loss to England, the tournament was as kind to Ireland, as the Irish were in bringing an abundance of entertainment.

Home	Result	Away	Venue
Italy	11-52	England	Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
Wales	51-3	Scotland	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
France	20-22	Ireland	Stade de France, Paris, France

Position	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	PD	Points
1	Ireland	5	4	0	1	83	8
2	England	5	4	0	1	73	8
3	Wales	5	3	0	2	43	6
4	France	5	3	0	2	1	6
5	Scotland	5	1	0	4	-91	2
6	Italy	5	0	0	5	-109	0

O'Driscoll hailed his send-off and, speaking after the match, told of how he didn't want to take off the green shirt, according to BBC Sport's Ben Dirs:

Because it's the last time, I'm dragging the backside out of it. It would be a bit weird if I started wearing it at home. It's a lovely way to finish.

I've had so much fun over the past 15 years. And not many get to finish their career on their own terms and certainly not with this kind of emotional high.

I got a frog in my throat at the final whistle but I'm sure there will be a few tears later on with multiple beers on board.

Meanwhile, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt stated that finding O'Driscoll's successor would be a big job:

His work ethic is massive. He works so hard to maximise his special attributes. We can't suddenly fill his shoes. We'll just have to pick somebody with slightly smaller feet and hopefully he'll grow into them.

ESPN's Tommy Smyth tweeted of not just a big tournament for the Irish, but also a case of rewriting history in Rome:

A big tournament with even bigger celebrations in store throughout Dublin, let's take a look back at Ireland's road to the final, with four wins and plenty of memories along the way.

Round 1 – Ireland 28-6 Scotland

Schmidt's men made their mark on the tournament during the opening fixture with Scotland, as Jonathan Sexton staked his claim for Ireland's kicking responsibilities.

The Racing Metro man hit two conversions and three penalties to help his side on their way to 28-6 jubilation in Dublin.

Rob Kearney and Andrew Trimble also bagged their first tries of the competition—along with Jamie Heaslip—as the hosts romped to 18-point victory over Scott Johnson's side, who could only score from two penalties from Greig Laidlaw.

Round 2 – Ireland 26-3 Wales

Ireland continued their domination against Wales and, with a 13-0 half-time lead, it looked to be one-way traffic in Dublin's second fixture.

Sexton had hit three kicks before half-time as Chris Henry touched down for the hosts, with Leigh Halfpenny kicking in response during the second period.

However, the Welshman's efforts were in vain, as Sexton hit another two set-pieces, with Paddy Jackson stepping from the replacements' bench to bag a try—and dispatch for the resulting extras.

Round 3 – England 13-10 Ireland

Round 3 brought disappointment to Schmidt's side, despite a brave fight back against England at Twickenham.

The hosts had recorded a 3-0 advantage at the interval after Farrell kicked between the sticks from a 24th-minute penalty.

An excellent start to the second half resulted in Kearney's try—extras gleaned by Sexton—and then the Metro man stepping up to slot home a penalty of his own.

However, hopes of an away victory were dashed after Danny Care's try led to Farrell's fine finish, as luck of the Irish wasn't telling in the final 25 minutes, leading to 13-10 defeat in London.

Round 4 – Ireland 46-7 Italy

Back in Dublin, Ireland had to defeat Italy, who had yet to win a match in the Six Nations so far, to keep their foot on the gas as they harboured dreams of their second title.

Strong favourites, the hosts sailed into the lead after a try-and-conversion combo from Sexton, before Leonardo Sarto's try—converted by Luciano Orquera on 25 minutes—drew the game level.

The lead didn't last long though as Sexton twice struck between the sticks either side of Trimble's try, before the second-half mauling began.

Five tries, courtesy of Cian Healy, Sexton, Sean Cronin, Fergus McFadden and Jack McGrath, with two kicks from Jackson, helped the side to record 46-7.

Then came the decider.

Round 5 – France 20-22 Ireland

News of England's 52-11 win had filtered through social-networking sites, news outlets and across the pubs of Ireland as Schmidt's men—travelling to face France—knew that a win at the Stade de France would signal their title win.

Maxime Machenaud's first-minute penalty certainly looked to tear up the script and, with under 15 minutes played, Machenaud had made it two for him.

Ireland's endeavour told during the early exchanges and finally came to fruition after 20 minutes with two tries in quick succession from Sexton and Trimble, Sexton fluffing his lines from the first conversion but showing character to bag the second.

But France weren't ready to give up their hopes of derailing Ireland's title dreams, with Brice Dulin's try enabling Machenaud to make it three from three to make it 13-12 to the hosts.

Sexton capped another try and nearly missed his second conversion of the day, but for the left-hand upright to save the day and restore Ireland's lead—now sat at 19-13.

The visitors started the second half just as brightly as the first to bag another penalty, before Dimitri Szarzewski reduced the deficit for France following Machenaud's latest kick-king moment.

Just two points from an upset, and with Sexton stretched off the field following a nasty collision with Mathieu Bastareaud, the hosts were dreaming of victory in Paris.

They even had scored a try to put Ireland behind. However, after lengthy deliberation and replay consultation, the move was discredited for a forward pass, allowing Ireland to clinch the win and the title.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given tweeted of his delight at seeing his nation seal the Six Nations, with signs of just a few nerves along the way:

A momentous occasion for all of Ireland to enjoy, but more importantly, a solid platform from which to build.

The side will look to defend their title in next year's Six Nations, before England host the World Cup in October.

Victory this time around can act as an excellent springboard for Schmidt's men to further grow their side, and although O'Driscoll will no longer be on the pitch, his legacy will live on long into the ages.

Ireland will hope to get back to winning ways when they face Italy on Saturday in Round 4 of the Six Nations.

Still sitting on top of the standings on points difference despite a narrow 13-10 defeat against England in the last round, Ireland could step up their pursuit of the championship by piling on the points in Dublin.

Joe Schmidt's side have a 21-point advantage over second-placed England after three games, and they should be looking to extend that significantly when they take on Italy.

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	PD	Points
Ireland	3	2	0	1	42	4
England	3	2	0	1	21	4
Wales	3	2	0	1	6	4
France	3	2	0	1	1	4
Scotland	3	1	0	2	-41	2
Italy	3	0	0	3	-29	0

With England unlikely to gain much ground in their match against Wales at Twickenham, the Irish could find themselves needing just a narrow win to claim the Six Nations crown when they travel to Paris next week.

Italy pose a tough proposition. They have yet to win a game so far in the tournament but will be hurting after their last-minute loss to Scotland two weeks ago.

Ireland cannot take their opponents for granted. However, they must look to win big.

With key man Sergio Parisse unavailable for Italy, Ireland have the advantage from the off. Furthermore, Italy will also be without Alessandro Zanni.

The loss of these two means that an Italian upset is highly unlikely, especially as Schmidt has resisted the temptation to rest any of his big players.

The Kiwi has made just one enforced change to the starting 15 with Iain Henderson coming in for the injured Peter O’Mahony at blind-side flanker.

This decision may have been made in the knowledge that Ireland should be aiming for a large points haul.

With England playing Italy on the final day, Ireland need to extend their points tally as much as possible and set the English a daunting target.

If they can defeat Italy by between 20 and 30 points, they will have one hand on the trophy with only the narrowest of wins likely needed in Paris. 

Of course, if Wales are victorious at Twickenham, Ireland will be in an even better position.

There is one other thing of which Ireland need to be wary: Saturday marks the final international appearance by Brian O'Driscoll in Ireland.

He will also become the highest-capped international of all time, surpassing George Gregan's tally of 139 for Australia.

There is a danger that the inevitable emotion of the occasion could distract Ireland from the task in hand.

However, the Irish will be hoping that it will have a galvanising effect on their team. If so, Ireland will be in pole position to claim the Six Nations next weekend in Paris. 

Ireland began their Six Nations Championship campaign with a commanding 28-6 victory over Scotland in Dublin.

Andrew Trimble, Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney scored tries as Ireland joined Wales and France in winning on the opening weekend of the 2014 tournament.

Joe Schmidt’s first Six Nations game in charge of Ireland started cagily with the only scoring in the opening quarter coming via penalties from Jonathan Sexton and Greig Laidlaw.

Sexton added a second kick to give Ireland a 6-3 lead before Trimble scored at the end of the first half at the Aviva Stadium.

The hosts spread the ball wide and created a huge overlap to allow winger Trimble to cross, although Sexton was unable to convert.

An 11-3 half-time advantage became 18-6 within six minutes of the re-start.

Laidlaw added a second penalty before Ireland won a line-out deep in Scotland territory and their pack drove to the line with captain Heaslip going over from the back of the maul.

This time Sexton did add the extras, and Scotland were trailing by 12 points.

Sexton notched a third penalty before Trimble’s converted try with 10 minutes remaining put the game to bed.

Chris Henry got behind the visiting defence, and Ireland recycled the ball quickly before full back Kearney cut inside and powered over the line.

It meant a successful day for Brian O'Driscoll, who set a new Irish caps record by making his 129th appearance.

Heaslip, who took the armband after Paul O'Connell was ruled out through injury, told the BBC he was happy with the performance.

We came out against Scotland to do the jersey proud. We can be proud of how we took our scores and our general shape. 

Coach Joe Schmidt told me this morning captain Paul O'Connell was not fit to play. We were missing a great leader, but everyone stepped up. I am taking the try [hooker Rory Best also had a claim]. You train for hours on the field for a try like that.

We can be more clinical and accurate, but I am very happy with the win.

Ireland face Wales next Saturday in Dublin while Scotland entertain England in the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield.