Joe Schmidt’s men stand on the brink of history as they look to overcome in-form Argentina in Cardiff and secure a first ever Rugby World Cup semi-final place for Ireland.
RUGBY WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL: Sunday, October 18
IRELAND v ARGENTINA, Millennium Stadium, 1pm (live TV3/UTV/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: There are four enforced changes to the Ireland team that overcame France 24-9 last Sunday, with injury ruling both Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony out of the tournament and Sean O’Brien missing the match through suspension.
The fourth and final switch was confirmed yesterday with the news that a minor adductor strain with keep Jonathan Sexton out of the game. Ian Madigan will wear the number 10 jersey in his place, and Ulster’s Paddy Jackson joins the bench.
In O’Connell’s absence, Jamie Heaslip will assume the captaincy on the occasion of his 80th Ireland appearance. The Naas man is joined in the back row by Jordi Murphy, who comes in for his second World Cup start, and Chris Henry who replaces O’Brien at openside flanker.
Devin Toner and Iain Henderson are paired together in the second row, while last week’s front row of Cian Healy, Mike Ross and Rory Best are retained as they extend their professional era and northern Hemisphere record to 31 starts.
Conor Murray and Madigan combine at half-back with centres Robbie Henshaw and Keith Earls lining out together for the third game on the trot. The back-three is made up of Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe and Dave Kearney, completing a team that boasts 659 Test caps.
Rhys Ruddock, an injury call-up for O’Mahony this week, could make his World Cup debut off the bench. The other replacements are Richardt Strauss, Jack McGrath, Nathan White, Donnacha Ryan, Eoin Reddan, Jackson and Luke Fitzgerald.
Meanwhile, Argentina have reverted to their strongest team for the last-eight date with Ireland. Head coach Daniel Hourcade has made 10 changes to the side that beat Namibia 64-19.
Argentina’s starting line-up, which boasts 496 Test caps, has an all-new front row with Leicester Tigers clubman Marcos Ayerza, captain Agustin Creevy and Ramiro Herrera all returning.
Tomas Lavinini comes in for Matias Alemanno in the second row, with the latter dropping to the bench, and experienced Toulon flanker Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and number 8 Leonardo Senatore resume in the back row.
In the backs, the 33-year-old Juan Martin Hernandez reverts to inside centre to allow for the return of Nicolas Sanchez. Scrum half Martin Landajo and Matias Moroni retain their places, though Moroni moves to outside centre and Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino drops to the bench.
Landajo will win his 50th cap and is the most used player under Hourcade, Hernandez, Fernandez Lobbe and Ayerza all played in the 2007 World Cup bronze final.
Most of the Pumas’ squad is now under the banner of the UAR team, the first professional club in Argentina which will compete in the expanded Super Rugby competition next season.
Full-back Joaquin Tuculet, Sanchez, Landajo, Herrera and Lavanini all started against Ireland in Tucuman in June of last year when Joe Schmidt’s men secured a 2-0 series win.
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht), Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) (capt).
Replacements: Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Nathan White (Connacht), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster).
ARGENTINA: Joaquin Tuculet (UAR); Santiago Cordero (UAR), Matias Moroni (UAR), Juan Martin Hernandez (UAR), Juan Imhoff (Racing 92); Nicolas Sanchez (UAR), Martin Landajo (UAR); Marcos Ayerza (Leicester Tigers), Agustin Creevy (UAR) (capt), Ramiro Herrera (UAR), Guido Petti (UAR), Tomas Lavanini (UAR), Pablo Matera (UAR), Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Toulon), Leonardo Senatore (Unattached).
Replacements: Julian Montoya (UAR), Lucas Noguera (UAR), Juan Pablo Orlandi (Newcastle Falcons), Matias Alemanno (UAR), Facundo Isa (UAR), Tomas Cubelli (UAR), Jeronimo de la Fuente (UAR), Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino (Unattached).
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant Referees: Romain Poite (France), Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Television Match Official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 4/7; Draw: 17/1; Argentina to win: 13/8
Pre-Match Quotes: Tommy Bowe (Ireland) – “We topped our group in 2011. We had one of our best performances, we obviously beat Australia, but our performance against Italy to top the pool was probably our best performance in the campaign.
“We were full of confidence going into that Welsh match at the quarter-final stage. I don’t think we were complacent, I don’t think we were thinking too much about the semi-final, but something was off that day unfortunately and they were the better team on the day.
“It’s still a tough one to take, so for players who are still in the squad who were part of that, we can’t make that mistake again.
“Certainly for the players who have been a part of it before, we’ll be able to reiterate that if we lose this weekend and we don’t turn up at the weekend, that’s the end of it. You don’t get a second chance.
“We all know what’s at stake. We knew right from the start that we wanted to get to the knockout stages, we wanted to get where no Irish team has ever been before.
“We know what is there for us, so we’re in a good place from a confidence point of view. We’re excited about it but I don’t think we’re dwelling on the history and what it means.”
Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina) – “2007 is already long gone and this is a new team. People are always looking to compare, but I was taught that the next match is the most important one.
“(The 2007 World Cup win over Ireland) was very important, perhaps the most important to date. I don’t enjoy speaking of myself, but it was quite special because they had to score four tries against us. Besides, many of us played our club rugby in France back then, and we had family and friends sitting in the crowd.
“The match took place at Parc des Princes, only a block away from where I lived. There were many reasons that changed people’s general opinion of me, or perhaps it was simply that they came to know me better.
“Nowadays, the key to every game is at the breakdown and in the resulting rucks. Whoever wins that battle will control the breakdown and therefore keep the ball. Sean O’Brien is excellent at the breakdown and I hope his absence will benefit us.”
Pre-Match Links –
Madigan To Start As Sexton A Late Withdrawal
Ireland v Argentina – RWC Stat Attack
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run At Millennium Stadium
O’Connell To Undergo Surgery And Ruled Out Of RWC
Head-To-Head: Ireland v Argentina
Recent Meetings –
2012: GUINNESS Series: Ireland 46 Argentina 24, Aviva Stadium
2014: Summer Tour First Test: Argentina 17 Ireland 29, Estadio Centenario, Resistencia
2014: Summer Tour Second Test: Argentina 17 Ireland 23, Estadio José Fierro, Tucumán
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #ShouldertoShoulder / #IRE / #RWC2015 / #IREvARG on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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