IRELAND HAD PLENTY of reasons to feel pleased with themselves at half time on Friday night, having scored three tries against Argentina and nearly bagged a fourth.

Their attack had fired in clinical fashion, they had earned some outstanding defensive turnovers, and while a few sloppy moments had allowed the Pumas to chip away at the scoreboard with shots at goal, a 22-9 lead at the break was well-earned.

Tries from Jack Crowley and Mack Hansen in the opening six minutes of the game got Andy Farrell’s men off to a flyer, the Irish attack striking impressively first from a lineout inside the Pumas 22, then straight off the ensuing restart reception. 

They almost had a superb third in the 15th minute when they snapped into their familiar phase-play attack after an Argentinian exit kick, but Tadhg Beirne just failed to get the ball down after powering over the tryline wide on the left. A 17-3 or 19-3 lead for Ireland there would have left Argentina reeling.

Finlay Bealham’s yellow card for a croc roll soon after slowed Ireland down somewhat but Crowley added a smart drop goal to shift Ireland 15-6 ahead.

And soon after Bealham’s return, Ireland had their third try as they struck in lethal fashion when lock Joe McCarthy powered over on second phase from another effective lineout attack.

Having held the Pumas out in an extended period of pressure before the break, albeit earning a yellow card warning in the process, Ireland must have been encouraged even if they would have picked out a few obvious flaws from the first half.

Argentina’s opening three points came after three quick Irish errors straight after Hansen’s try. McCarthy missed the restart, James Ryan knocked on, then Robbie Henshaw was caught offside.

Garry Ringrose competes with Tomás Albornoz. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Bealham’s croc roll resulted in a yellow card but also three points from Tomás Albornoz’s boot, while a lateral running line from McCarthy saw hooker Rónan Kelleher being pinged for obstruction for the Pumas’ third three-pointer.

Ireland would have expected a backlash from Felipe Contepomi’s side in the second half, having seen them beat New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia earlier this year. They would have known there was better to come from this fine Argentina team and yet, Ireland probably felt they could kick on from their 22-9 lead. 

It wasn’t to be. Ireland didn’t score again after Crowley’s 33rd-minute conversion of the McCarthy try. Indeed, they needed another defensive holdout in the dying moments of the game as the Pumas pushed for a winner in the Irish 22.

“I think the dangerous thing in life in general is when you think you’ve got something, that’s dangerous ground,” said Farrell after his side’s 22-19 win.

“We need to keep addressing that.”

There were plenty of lessons for Ireland in the second half. 

Juan Cruz Mallía’s 45th-minute try was a stunner, no doubt, but Irish defence coach Simon Easterby will probably feel that his men could have made it harder to score. Mallía scorched through Garry Ringrose’s missed tackle to beat Hansen with a wicked sidestep at high speed.

Yet, it’s probably what followed that will frustrate Farrell most.

Still 22-16 ahead, Ireland needed to assert control but instead, they handed more momentum to Argentina with mishit kicks from Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park. First, the out-half kicked into touch on the full, then the scrum-half overcooked a short attacking kick.

In both cases, it’s likely Farrell would have preferred to see longer kicks that were designed to win territory for Ireland. Instead, they invited more pressure from the Pumas.

Argentina were left disappointed. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

And the Irish discipline slipped again as a result, McCarthy caught offside and sent to the sin bin for cumulative infringements in the Irish 22. It was good refereeing from Paul Williams to carry the first-half warning into the 50th minute.

Argentina were back within three points from the resulting Albornoz shot at goal and should have drawn level in the 55th minute when Albornoz was wide to the left with a very kickable drop goal attempt.

That finally sparked Ireland into kicking for territory, a long Crowley effort pinning Argentina into their half before grubber kicks in behind by Lowe and Crowley helped them to see out McCarthy’s sin-bin period without further scoreboard damage.

Into the final quarter, Ireland had chances to finish the game off but their first-half attacking efficiency had deserted them.

There was a promising opportunity in the 66th minute as powerful carries from Jamie Osborne and Caelan Doris were followed by a slick delayed pass from Sam Pendergast to Lowe, but the left wing lost the ball forward as he surged into space.

There was another occasion when a smart lineout play sent Hansen down the right before Osborne broke through in midfield, only to be left isolated as Santiago Carreras pounced for a turnover penalty.

Either side of that were long passages of Irish attack in the Argentina 22 that might have worried Farrell. The first lasted for 15 phases before Ireland were turned over by a counter-ruck, the second extended to 17th phase before another Pumas counter-ruck turnover.

In both passages, Ireland were essentially overpowered by the Pumas. Without the likes of Andrew Porter, Kelleher or Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong or Bealham, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, and Jack Conan on the pitch, Ireland missed ballast in those two close-quarters battles with the Argentinians.

Ireland's coaching box at the final whistle.

The second of them ended with Joaquín Oviedo’s 79th-minute breakdown steal giving the Pumas one last chance to salvage a win.

They very nearly did it as busts from Juan Martín González and Bautista Delguy took them into the Irish 22 but a massive counter-ruck effort from Cian Healy and McCarthy forced a final knock-on from Argentina.

The Irish coaching box, Farrell and co. looked a little bemused at how their team had finished the game in such a stressful position. They have plenty of food for thought.