Ireland will target a win over a tough Argentine side
Ireland will hope to finish off their Autumn Internationals with a good performance against Argentina, in the Test match at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday 28 November.
Declan Kidney has made five changes to his team ahead of the Test. The Irish coach was forced into making three changes to his side as a number of players came out of the 38-18 defeat to New Zealand with injuries.
British and Irish Lions Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney miss the match with knee injuries sustained in the match with New Zealand. Andrew Trimble replaces Fitzgerald on the wing, while veteran Leicester full-back Geordan Murphy comes in for Kearney.
Up front, Rory Best is replaced by Connaught hooker Sean Cronin after he fractured his jaw.
Tony Buckley will join Cronin in the front-row as he is preferred to Ulster prop Tom Court.
Peter Stringer breaks up the Leinster half-back partnership of Eoin Reddan and Jonathan Sexton. The Munster scrum-half replaces Reddan after impressing in all of his games for Ireland.
The Munster player’s quick pass is likely to be a factor in his selection, as Ireland will target the Argentines out wide and try to keep the ball away from the Argentine pack, which is regarded as their strength.
David Wallace, Stephen Ferris, Tommy Bowe, Gordon D’Arcy and Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll have all been passed fit to play in the Test, despite only returning to training during the week.
Ireland will hope that they can record a second win of the Autumn Internationals. The team produced their best performance against New Zealand, but the result ended up being their worst of the Test series.
Argentina have made three changes to the team that was defeated 15-9 by France last weekend.
Winger Horacio Agulla replaces Gonzalo Camacho, while centre Marcelo Bosch is preferred to Santiago Fernandez in the back-line.
Up front, flanker Julio Farias Cabello replaces Miguel de Achaval after he impressed in the French Test as a substitute.
Argentina will target Ireland’s scrum, which showed signs of improvement against the All Blacks.
However, the Argentines have one of the toughest front-rows in world rugby and they will expect to hold a strong advantage in that area.
They will try to turn the match into a forward battle and will aim to slow the ball down at the ruck, so that Ireland’s talented back-line have as little time and influence on the game as possible.
If Ireland can produce quick ball they will beat Argentina and exploit them out wide. Ireland will hope to play an expansive game and move Argentina’s big forwards about the pitch.
The Irish will expect to win the line-out battle and with out-half Sexton they should be able to bring their dangerous backs into play.
Kidney will know he faces a tough battle against Argentina, but the Irish should have enough quality in their back line to see off a physical and tough Argentine team.
The Irish will expect a win before they prepare for the Six Nations in February.
Tags: