The big guns have returned for Ireland as they prepare to take on a confident Argentina side at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday.
The experienced Rob Kearney returns at full-back and Bundee Aki is at 12 once again after his impressive debut against South Africa in the opening game of the end-of-year series.
Jonathan Sexton and Conor Murray, the half-back pairing that totally dictated play against the Boks, return to the starting XV.
Front row stalwarts including skipper Rory Best, Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong return as does in-form lock Iain Henderson. Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien and CJ Stander make up one of the best back rows in the game.
For Argentina, the 8, 9, 10 combination of Tomas Lezana, Martin Landajo and Nicolas Sanchez is world class. Joaquin Tuculet is always a threat with ball in hand at full-back, while hooker Agustin Creevy leads by example as captain.
This Irish outfit is a class act, and you can expect a similar performance to what they displayed against South Africa two weeks ago.
Murray and Sexton delivered a tactical masterclass with their out of hand kicks and Sexton’s goal-kicking also impressed.
If the Irish pack dominates the collisions and set pieces as they did against the Boks, Murray and Sexton will torment the Pumas defenders with ball in hand by creating gaps with their accurate passing and deft kicks, or by pinning them back with their lethal kicking accuracy and power.
The numerous ball-carrying forwards they have, as well as the midfield giant Aki, will also be a constant threat throughout.
Argentina will want the game to be played in a way that totally contradicts Ireland’s suspected game-plan. While they also pride themselves on dominating set-pieces, particularly scrums, and the collisions, they will want the game to open up and be a bit unstructured.
Their creative players such as Sanchez, Landajo and Tuculet thrive under such conditions and they and some other los Pumas players have the X-factor to create something special out of nothing. Should the Irish tire or lose sight of their game-plan, Argentina might smell blood and spark an upset.
Players to watch:
For Ireland: Bundee Aki is a very impressive physical speciman and will be a threat for Argentina’s backline defenders. His pace and power could see him gain plenty of ground for the home side. He may also suck in plenty of defenders and creat space for other players who the Pumas won’t be watching as closely.
For Argentina: Martin Landajo can cause problems around the fringes at the breakdown for Irish defenders. His quick feet, vision and deceptively accurate tactical kicking game make hime very difficult to contain. He also has an eye for the whitewash and is world-class in open play as a playmaker.
Head-to-head: Rory Best and Augustin Creevy are almost identical in their roles and playing styles. They are both at hooker and skippering their countries. Both are excellent in the scrums, at the breakdowns and offer a threat with ball in hand. They will want to get the edge over each other to give their side’s a mental edge in this Test.
Previous results:
2015: Argentina won 43-20 in Cardiff
2014: Ireland won 23-17 in Tucuman
2014: Ireland won 29-17 in Resistencia
2012: Ireland won 46-24 in Dublin
2010: Ireland won 29-9 in Dublin
2008: Ireland won 17-3 in Dublin
2007: Argentina won 30-17 in Paris
Prediction: Argentina might be confident at the moment, but Ireland will have too much class for them and will be out to avenge their 2015 Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss. Ireland to win by 14!
The teams:
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Adam Byrne, 13 Chris Farrell, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Sean O’Brien, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Iain Henderson, 4 James Ryan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Rory Best (c), 1 Cian Healy
Replacements: 16 James Tracy, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 John Ryan, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ian Keatley, 23 Andrew Conway
Argentina: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Tomas Lezana, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 2 Agustin Creevy (c), 1 Santiago Garcia Botta
Replacements: 16 Julian Montoya, 17 Lucas Noguera, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Jeronimo de la Fuente, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere
Date: Saturday, November 25
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Marius Mitrea (Italy), Mike Adamson (Scotland)
TMO: David Grashoff (England)
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