A stirring Autumn Nations Series comes to a close at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon, as another high-octane clash is expected between Andy Farrell’s Ireland and Argentina.
2021 AUTUMN NATIONS SERIES: Sunday, November 21
IRELAND v ARGENTINA, Aviva Stadium, 2.15pm (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/Channel 4/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
The last remaining tickets are on sale from Ticketmaster.ie.
Team News: For Ireland’s final game of the November international window, James Ryan assumes the captaincy in the absence of the injured Jonathan Sexton. He is partnered in second row by Iain Henderson.
The front row of Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong is retained from last week’s thrilling 29-20 win over New Zealand, as is the back row of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan.
A new half-back pairing of Munster’s Joey Carbery and Conor Murray is introduced, and Robbie Henshaw makes his seasonal debut, partnering Garry Ringrose in midfield.
The in-form Hugo Keenan gets another opportunity to impress at full-back, with James Lowe, who has two tries in seven outings on the wing, starting his third consecutive game for Ireland.
Enniskillen man Robert Baloucoune, who made his Ireland debut against the USA in July and scored a scintillating try, gets his second start on the right wing.
Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan, who won his first cap against Japan a fortnight ago, and Ulster’s Tom O’Toole, another debutant from the USA game, are named as front row cover.
Cian Healy, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Craig Casey, Harry Byrne and Keith Earls complete the matchday 23.
Head coach Andy Farrell commented: “The potential is there for all to see. I love the way that Robert’s unorthodox in his play. He’s obviously very quick so hopefully we can get some front-foot ball and give him some room.
“He has a natural feel for the game and is very underestimated as far as decision-making and reads in defence. He’s very good in the high ball.
“I think it’s nice for Joey and it’s also nice for the two young lads on the bench (Casey and Byrne) coming on to a pack like that with all the experience that comes with it.
“Harry has been stop-start this season, he’s hardly had any minutes coming into camp. He’s missed a bit of training as well for Leinster with a few different injuries.
“But since he’s been in camp with us, he’s not missed a training session and we’ve seen him grow. We’ve seen him mature in front of our eyes as well.
“It’s going to be great to see him test himself with a good side we’ve put out and against a good side in Argentina. Craig has been champing at the bit for every single training session and I’m sure the two lads will do themselves proud.”
Meanwhile, Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma has made three personnel changes to the team that ended a seven-match losing run with a 37-16 victory over Italy in Treviso.
65-times capped lock Giudo Petti returns from a knee injury, with young Exeter Chiefs flanker Santiago Grondona also added to the Pumas’ starting pack.
London Irish’s Lucio Cinti, one of the youngest members of the travelling squad at 21, replaces Santiago Cordero in the back-three. Mateo Carreras swaps wings.
Marcos Kremer moves into a reshuffled back row, taking up the openside role, and former captain Pablo Matera, who has signed with New Zealand’s Crusaders for the 2022 Super Rugby season, switches from blindside to number 8.
Uncapped Exeter back Facundo Cordero, the 23-year-old brother of winger Santiago, is poised to make his international debut from the bench.
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster); Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster), Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster).
ARGENTINA: Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh); Mateo Carreras (Newcastle Falcons), Matías Moroni (Leicester Tigers), Jerónimo de la Fuente (Perpignan), Lucio Cinti (London Irish); Santiago Carreras (Gloucester), Tomás Cubelli (Biarritz Olympique); Thomas Gallo (Benetton), Julián Montoya (Leicester Tigers) (capt), Francisco Gomez Kodela (Lyon), Guido Petti (Bordeaux-Bègles), Tomás Lavanini (Clermont Auvergne), Santiago Grondona (Exeter Chiefs), Marcos Kremer (Stade Francais), Pablo Matera (Crusaders).
Replacements: Facundo Bosch (La Rochelle), Ignacio Calles (Pau), Eduardo Bello (Zebre Parma), Lucas Paulos (Brive), Facundo Isa (Toulon), Gonzalo Bertranou (Dragons), Nicolás Sánchez (Stade Francais), Facundo Cordero (Exeter Chiefs).
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley, Adam Leal (both England)
Television Match Official: Tom Foley (England)
Pre-Match Quotes: Robbie Henshaw (Ireland) –
That (last week) is the standard we can produce. That is the expectation from us as players whenever we take the field and the expectation from the wider squad.
“The staff, the coaches expect us to play like that every time. You can’t play perfectly every time but the last two weeks have been great, we have been really accurate, so I think that can be the focus for us, to put in the same level of performance.
“We want to continue to be accurate, to be disciplined, to not give away too many penalties, to take our chances when they come.
“We definitely have eyes on the World Cup in 2023 so it is building foundations and building slowly from here to then. Through injury there has been changes this week.
“That will happen in competitions and in a World Cup. It’s more so the onus is on us as players.
“You need to be 100% ready and all in from the get-go. That’s a huge focus in the squad – that you can be called on any time and you have to be able to execute.”
Juan Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina) –
It has been a really long, intense time. We have been away from home for 16 weeks. We want to finish the season off on a high.
“We want to play a game full of intent and confidence. If we can finish with a win, it will be massive for this group of Argentinean players.
“We hope we can win, break the deadlock but it is going to be very, very tough because Ireland are coming out of one of their biggest ever results, not just in terms of the fact it was New Zealand who they beat, but the fact they dominated them.
“They controlled nearly every situation in the game. So that was the most impressive thing about their performance last Saturday.
“We have been training really well in the last three weeks. The guys are focused and really looking forward on having a good game. We aren’t focused on the result but on building the blocks to allow us become a really good team.
“We are doing that. We are going in the right direction and we want the challenge of playing Ireland in a full Aviva. It is a challenge we want to embrace.”
Pre-Match Links –
Ringrose: We’ll Have Our Work Cut Out For Us Against Pumas
Ryan: Recent Performances Have Given Us Belief And Confidence
In Pics: Ireland Squad Prepare For Argentina
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At Aviva Stadium
Recent Meetings –
2015: Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final: Ireland 20 Argentina 43, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2017: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 28 Argentina 19, Aviva Stadium
2018: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 28 Argentina 17, Aviva Stadium
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