Hello, and welcome to today’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final liveblog. We’re just under an hour and a half away from kick-off.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail sport@the42.ie, tweet @the42_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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A reminder of the teams for today’s game…

Ireland

15. Rob Kearney
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Keith Earls
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Dave Kearney
10. Ian Madigan
9. Conor Murray

1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Devin Toner
5. Iain Henderson
6. Jordi Murphy
7. Chris Henry
8. Jamie Heaslip (captain)

Replacements:

16. Richardt Strauss
17. Jack McGrath
18. Nathan White
19. Donnacha Ryan
20. Rhys Ruddock
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Paddy Jackson
23. Luke Fitzgerald

Argentina

15. Joaquín Tuculet
14. Santiago Cordero
13. Matias Moroni
12. Juan Martín Hernández
11. Juan Imhoff
10. Nicolás Sánchez
9. Martín Landajo

1. Marcos Ayerza
2. Agustín Creevy (captain)
3. Ramiro Herrera
4. Guido Petti
5. Tomás Lavanini
6. Pablo Matera
7. Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe
8. Leonardo Senatore

Replacements:

16. Julian Montoya
17. Lucas Noguera
18. Juan Pablo Orlandi
19. Matias Alemanno
20. Facundo Isa
21. Tomás Cubelli
22. Jeronimo De La Fuente
23. Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino

There are already some great pics coming in from the streets of Cardiff. Are you there? Email us at sport@the42.ie.

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

This flag might just be RWC 2015′s “Angela Merkel Thinks We’re At Work.”

If you can’t read the text, it says:

Dieg O’Maradona

Irish Legend

Handy In A Line Out!

Superb work.

This isn’t far off either, mind you!

BIG BREAKING NEWS: Ian Madigan has been to the barbers – he means business!

Fifteen minutes to kick-off, and if you’re looking to do something other than pace nervously around the room, you can read Sean Farrell’s match preview:

The challenges are clear: Meet an Argentina team in flying form and fresh after enjoying the luxury of meeting Namibia to close off their pool campaign. Meet them without the team’s totemic leader, the dynamic playmaking 10 and two frenetic ball-hungry flankers.

With Sexton joining the rank of mere spectator under the Millennium Stadium roof today, Ireland will again trust the reins to Ian Madigan and ask him to make the disruption to the gameplan as seamless as possible. While his coaches and team-mates have been quick to praise Madigan this week there is little doubt that he will need other leaders around the park to lend a hand with managing the game.

If you thought 1pm on a Sunday afternoon was an unsociable kick-off time, how about 5am Sunday morning Las Vegas time?

That’s dedication.

Final instructions are given. Almost ready to go.

Time to keep a cool head and a dry pants.

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

Players are coming out of the tunnel and the noise in the Millennium is deafening.

Ireland 0-0 Argentina

And we’re off!

Ireland 0-0 Argentina

2′ – Ireland go through some early phases and Madigan makes a half-break, but Ireland infringe to hand possession over.

Ireland 0-5 Argentina

3′ – Try Argentina! (Matias Moroni)

Ireland 0-7 Argentina

4′ – Conversion (Nicolas Sanchez)

Worryingly easy. Santiago Cordero goes down the wing and pops outside to Moroni, who glides through to the try line.

Sanchez slots the conversion and it’s a nightmare start for Ireland.

Ireland 0-7 Argentina

7′ – Ireland have an attacking scrum just inside the 22. Ireland’s first real attack, but Herrera takes Cian Healy apart, and Argentina win the penalty.

Ireland 0-7 Argentina

9′ – Argentina may be in for another try. We’re going to the TMO…

Ireland 0-14 Argentina

Try Argentina! (Juan Imhoff)

9′ – This is disastrous. Sanchez dinks a beautiful chip over the top and Imhoff just about touches down before the ball goes dead.

Ireland need to wake up fast.

Ireland 0-14 Argentina

12′ – Ireland are looking completely stunned at the moment.

Mike Ross infringes at a ruck, and now Sanchez may have a shot at goal.

And on top of that, Tommy Bowe is down injured.

Someone pass the Nurofen.

Ireland 0-14 Argentina

13′ – Luke Fitzgerald comes on for the injured Bowe as the stretcher is summoned.

Ireland 0-17 Argentina

14′ – Nicolas Sanchez makes no mistake with the penalty, and the lead goes out to 17.

Hopefully the injury break has refocused Ireland.

Ireland 0-17 Argentina

It’s worth noting that the largest EVER comeback at the World Cup is 15 points, after Romania beat Canada 17-15 earlier in this tournament.

Apologies for putting a downer on things.

Ireland 0-17 Argentina

17′ – Yellow card – Ramiro Herrera.

Finally something good for Ireland. Herrera goes to the bin for a late shoulder charge on Keith Earls.

They need to make this count.

Ireland 0-17 Argentina

19′ – Penalty to Ireland in front of the posts for offside.

Madigan took it quickly and ran in under the posts, but it was called back, after Garces had been speaking to the Argentinians. Madigan will kick it at goal now.

Ireland 3-17 Argentina

21′ – Penalty (Ian Madigan)

Madigan slots it over, and Ireland are up and running.

Ireland 3-17 Argentina

21′ – Another chance for Sanchez to kick at the posts, and Chris Henry is warned for a neck roll.

Ireland 3-20 Argentina

22′ – Sanchez is lethal off the tee, and he makes no mistake.

Ireland getting killed at the breakdown.

Ireland 3-20 Argentina

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

This photo pretty much sums up the first half.

Ireland 10-23 Argentina

25′ – TRY IRELAND! (Luke Fitzgerald)

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

27′ – A loose kick from the Argentinians is seized by Ireland and Luke Fitzgerald finishes superbly, sprinting through from some distance out.

Madigan slots the extras, and the gap is back to 10.

Argentina are coming back to 15 men as we speak though, but Olé Olé is starting to ring out.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

30′ – Ireland’s scrum is starting to work, and they turn over to win one of their own.

The crowd are starting to row in behind them.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

31 – Madigan has a shot at goal to reduce the gap to seven…

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

33′ – This time it’s Madigan’s turn to hit the post, but a knock-on means Ireland have a scrum just 10 metres out.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

34′ – Incredible work at the breakdown by Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, and Argentina win a penalty to clear their lines.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

36′ – Dave Kearney dislocates a finger and pops it back in, before continuing on.

It’s been that kind of game.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

39′ – Ireland with a lineout 10 metres inside their own half. Final play of the first half.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

HAL-TIME

Conor Murray hoofs the ball out to bring up the half-time whistle.

It’s was a disastrous start, but Ireland have grown into this one. Expect plenty of drama in the second 40.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

Second half almost ready to go, teams coming back out.

No changes as far as we can see.

Ireland 10-20 Argentina

43′ – Two penalties in quick succession and Ireland are kicking into the corner. Lineout coming, just inside the 22.

Ireland 15-20 Argentina

TRY IRELAND! (Jordi Murphy)

Ireland 17-20 Argentina

45′ – Conversion (Ian Madigan)

Luke Fitzgerald makes a sensational break through the middle, and offloads to Jordi Murphy on the shoulder.

He runs in under the posts and Madigan dots over the conversion.

Our resident former Blackrock College student in the office has pointed out that all 17 of Ireland’s points have come from that school.

And now it’s an Irish scrum penalty on halfway.

Ireland 17-20 Argentina

I’d like to apologise in advance for any typos in the next 35 minutes.

Things are getting tense!

Ireland 17-23 Argentina

50′ – Penalty (Nicolas Sanchez)

Not what we needed, but exactly when the Argentinians needed. Sanchez slots over a penalty to make it a six-point game.

Ireland 17-23 Argentina

51′ – Penalty to Ireland in a kickable position.

TMO looking at more dangerous play from Herrera.

He’s already on a yellow card…

Ireland 17-23 Argentina

51′ – Herrera gets away with a warning. Lucky, lucky boy.

Ireland 20-23 Argentina

53′ – Penalty (Ian Madigan)

No mistake from Madigan, and it’s a three-point game yet again.

Ireland 20-23 Argentina

55′ – Two huge hits from Jack McGrath and a turnover from Rory Best. All the momentum with Ireland now.

Ireland 20-23 Argentina

59′ – Penalty to Ireland from a long way out after Lavanini flies in off his feet.

Madigan has this to level it.

Ireland 20-23 Argentina

60′ – Wide and right from Madigan, but it was at the edge of his range.

20 minutes to play, three in it.

Me nerves…

Ireland 20-23 Argentina

62′ – Argentina have a penalty and a chance to stretch the lead out to six.

Ireland 20-26 Argentina

64′ – Penalty (Nicolas Sanchez)

You’d put your house on Sanchez making that. Argentina settling after a very hairy 25 minutes.

Ireland 20-26 Argentina

67′ – Ireland having a lot of the ball but none of the territory. Can’t get out of their own half at the moment.

Ireland 20-26 Argentina

68′ – Argentina are over the line.

We’re going to the TMO.

This is HUGE.

Ireland 20-31 Argentina

Try Argentina! (Jaoquin Tuculet)

Ireland 20-31 Argentina

69′ – Tuculet somehow manages to touch down in the corner. In fairness, it was an incredible finish.

Sanchez converts and it’s an 11 point game.

*Correction

Ireland 20-33 Argentina

69′ – Tuculet somehow manages to touch down in the corner. In fairness, it was an incredible finish.

Sanchez converts and it’s an 11 point game.

Ireland 20-39 Argentina

72′ – Try Argentina (Juan Imhoff)

And that’s game over…

*Correction

Ireland 20-38 Argentina

72′ – Try Argentina (Juan Imhoff)

And that’s game over…

Ireland 20-40 Argentina

74′ – Conversion (Nicolas Sanchez)

Juan Imhoff absolutely skins the Irish defense, and sprints clear under the posts.

Six minutes left in Cardiff, and only a miracle will do now.

Ireland 20-40 Argentina

76 – Keith Earls gets penalised for a late shoulder charge, and Sanchez will kick to the posts yet again.

The celebrations are well under way in the Argentina coaching box.

Ireland 20-43 Argentina

Penalty (Nicolas Sanchez)

78′ – No mistake, as you’d expect.

Two  minutes until the nightmare is over.

Ireland 20-43 Argentina

FULL-TIME

It looked like the great comeback was on, but Argentina just grew and grew in the final 20 minutes.

In the end, it was the poor start that killed them, giving up 17 points in the opening quarter.

Thanks for following throughout, it’s been quite journey.