Pumas ready to put up a fight as Ireland seek World Cup revenge

Ireland v Argentina
Channel 4 & RTE2, 6.30pm Saturday

Ireland have won six of their last eight meetings with Argentina but the two defeats in that run have come at a high cost, leading directly to World Cup exits in 2007 and 2015.

The men in green will have one eye on next week’s showdown with the All Blacks but having rested many of his first-choice players for last week’s trip to face Italy in Chicago, head coach Joe Schmidt will not want any kind of let-up from his returning stars and the 54-7 victory over the Azzurri will surely be used as a template.

Young Leinster full-back Jordan Larmour ran in a hat-trick of tries last week and is again handed the number 15 shirt for this bigger fixture. First-choice scrum-half Conor Murray is still sidelined so Kieran Marmion starts.

With one defeat in their last 16 Tests and a clean sweep last November, Ireland must approach this fixture with huge confidence but a handicap in the high teens could be too high.

Argentina have gone heavy in their selection, naming a powerful pack with towering second-rower Guido Petti at flanker to bulk up the set-piece unit.

Los Pumas were surprisingly poor in the summer, losing to under-strength Wales and Scotland teams at home, leading to the departure of coach Daniel Hourcade. Replacement Mario Ledesma had already led Argentina’s Super Rugby side Los Jaguares to a first quarter-final and claimed Rugby Championship victories over South Africa at home and in Australia for the national side this summer.

Former hooker Ledesma cut his coaching teeth as a scrum coach and although the Pumas have added extra dimensions to their game, it would be no surprise to see a hard, physical approach.

While Ireland will have done their best to minimise the impact of playing across the Atlantic last week, their preparations will have been affected and they will need to hit the ground running.

The Irish players know full well what to expect after they were completely outplayed in the collisions in the 2015 World Cup quarter-final, but they also know they will have their hands full with a powerful physical battle and chances to put together fluent stretches of play pile on the scores may be limited.

Recommendation
Argentina +18
1pt Evs Betway, Betfair

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