Irish Head Home After Crashing Out Of The "Group Of Death"

Ireland 15 Argentina 30

This was Argentina's third win over Ireland this year, including their brace of summer tour successes, and richly deserved as Marcelo Loffreda's men controlled most of the play in Paris and kept the Irish at arm's length with some punishing goal-kicking.

For Ireland, the target of securing a bonus point win with a winning marging of eight points or more was beyond them. It was undoubtedly Ireland's best performance of the 2007 World Cup, they kept themselves in the game up until the hour mark.

However, the Pumas, with key men Agustin Pichot, Hernandez and Contepomi pulling the stings behind a workhorse pack, gradually sucked the life out of the Irish and that "one big performance" that O'Driscoll had called for from his side was sadly nowhere to be seen.

With news of France's nine-try 64-7 win over Georgia filtering through, Ireland knew before kick-off that they were left fighting for second spot in Pool D and a date with the All Blacks in the last-eight.

Hardly a prize to cherish, but to their credit, Ireland made a fiery start with O'Gara's well-placed kick-off sending Argentina on the back foot.

An O'Gara chip and chase sent David Wallace charging through the middle and another incision in the line from Eoin Reddan led to a third-minute penalty award.

Ireland pressed for the opening try as O'Gara was given the nod to kick the penalty to touch but the Pumas defended with gusto and were soon marching up-field.

Rather ominously, a lineout catch and drive from the Pumas got them within five metres of the Irish try line and try number one arrived in the 17th-minute.

The ensuing scrum saw the impressive Gonzalo Longo Elia break off the back, he found Agustin Pichot who offloaded for Lucas Borges to scamper over on the right, with the winger bumping off Wallace and avoiding the challenge of Hickie to score.

While Contepomi missed the conversion and O'Gara rifled over an Irish penalty after a concerted attack, Hernandez bolstered the Pumas' lead to 8-3 with a sweetly-struck drop goal.

Argentina's influence on the game was growing by the minute, but Ireland saw a chink of light in the 32nd-minute as O'Driscoll took full advantage of some sloppy defending to score to the left of the posts.

Ireland kicked a penalty to touch, Reddan fed O'Gara whose flat delivery allowed O'Driscoll to charge up and he skipped past Hernandez and a falling Manuel Contepomi to get clear and dive over past Horacio Agulla for the touchdown. O'Gara's conversion had Ireland in front for the first time, yet their advantage did not last long. Hernandez dropped back in the pocket to slam over a drop goal and close to half-time, the Pumas worked Agulla in for a seven-pointer in the left corner.

Hernandez was the creator as he launched a garryowen which he superbly collected and in one movement, the out-half slipped a delightful backhand pass for the supporting Rodrigo Roncero to bulldoze through and make five metres.

The Irish defence was stretched and numbers out wide led to Agulla beating the covering Denis Leamy to the line. Contepomi's successful conversion, which bounced in off the right post, showed once again that luck was not on Ireland's side at the Parc des Princes as O'Sullivan's side turned around at the interval with an 18-10 deficit to overcome.

Ireland began the second half well with Hernandez's restart being taken by O'Connell, who rose in terrific fashion, but the Irish were whistled up for pulling down a Pumas maul, three minutes in, and Contepomi fired his side into a 21-10 lead.

Ireland hit back with a move straight off the training ground. It was their best try of the tournament as quick set piece ball was ferried across from left to right and O'Gara, O'Driscoll, who straighthened the line superbly, and Wallace combined to set Murphy free for the right corner.

O'Gara narrowly failed to add the extras and from then on, the Pumas took the edge both physically and mentally.

Forward passes and further turnovers began to creep into Ireland's game as they tried to force matters with time running out on them. A 62nd-minute offside at a ruck allowed Contepomi to boot his second penalty of the evening.

Fittingly it fell to that man Hernandez, who may yet lead Argentina to the promised land of a semi-final appearance and beyond, to ping a last-minute drop goal through the uprights and put the final nail in Ireland's coffin.
(Courtesy of The IRFU)