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Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll knows more than revenge for Ireland’s World Cup exit last year at the hands of Argentina is at stake when they play the Pumas at Croke Park here Saturday.
The Irish are currently eighth in the world rankings, just ahead of Scotland who play a weak Canada team this weekend
Defeat for Ireland and victory for Scotland would leave the Irish outside of the top seeds when the draw for the 2011 World Cup takes place in London on December 1.
Whoever finishes outside the seedings will end up playing a team from the first and second tiers of top eight teams come the finals in New Zealand
Being in the top tier, as fourth-ranked Argentina are now, means avoiding the hosts and fellow southern hemisphere giants Australia and South Africa in the pool phase.
Pumas coach Santiago Phelan knows victory will cement his team’s position, an added incentive for the Pumas who, after beating Ireland 30-15 in Paris, finished in an impressive third place at the 2007 World Cup.
“I’ve been involved in World Cup qualifiers before,” said O’Driscoll. “Essentially that’s what this is. That does add to the pressure for both sides. We have something to gain from it but that does give it more of an edge.”
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has signalled his intention to attack by recalling the mercurial Geordan Murphy to his starting line-up.
Kidney’s inclusion of Murphy at full-back in place of Girvan Dempsey, who has been left out of the 22 instead of the gifted young back Keith Earls, is one of three changes made to the team that defended well but did little else in last week’s 22-3 defeat by the All Blacks.
Stephen Ferris returns for the suspended Alan Quinlan in the back row and Jerry Flannery is at hooker in place of Rory Best who drops to the bench.
Quinlan is awaiting the outcome of an appeal against his three-week suspension for stamping against the All Blacks. A place has been kept free on the bench for him.
“It’s going to be very physical. Argentina do have a way of keeping the scoreboard ticking along,” said Kidney
Murphy, whose defensive abilities have been questioned throughout his career, seems set to be tested by a barrage of high-balls from Juan Hernandez, who replaces the injured Felipe Contepomi at outside-half.
It would be a huge surprise if the Pumas were to do anything other than lean heavily on their pack – particularly with a marauding back row which includes Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, who takes up the captaincy in Contepomi’s place.
The absence of Contepomi, who plays his rugby in Ireland for Leinster, has led to a reshuffle in the backs that the Ireland centre pairing of O’Driscoll and 21-year-old Luke Fitzgerald will hope to exploit.
The latter, who will be making his third consecutive start, has been Ireland’s best back this season and is already threatening a breakthrough game.
He faces up against Miguel Avramovic, who gets his first start of the tour, and plays alongside Federico Martin Aramburu, switched from the wing position he occupied in last week’s win over Italy.
Francisco Leonelli fills the gap left by Aramburu and Horacio Agulla, who played on the wing against France two weeks ago, comes in at full-back for Bernardo Stortoni.
The only other change sees Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, a loose forward against Italy, partnering Patricio Albacete in the second-row with Esteban Lozada now demoted to the bench.
Ireland: Geordan Murphy; Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Luke Fitzgerald, Robert Kearney; Ronan O’Gara, Thomas O’Leary; Jamie Heaslip, David Wallace, Stephen Ferris; Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan; John Hayes, Jerry Flannery, Marcus Horan. Replacements: Rory Best, Tony Buckley, Malcolm O’Kelly, TBC, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Wallace, Keith Earls
Argentina: Horacio Agulla; Francisco Leonelli, Federico Martin Aramburu, Miguel Avramovic, Rafael Carballo; Juan Martin Hernandez, Nicolas Vergallo; Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (capt), Martin Durand; Patricio Albacete, Rimas Alvarez Kairelis; Juan Pablo Orlandi, Mario Ledesma, Rodrigo Roncero. Replacements: Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Marcos Ayerza, Esteban Lozada, Alvaro Galindo, Agustin Figuerola, Santiago Fernandez, Bernardo Stortoni
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (NZL)
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