Redemption arrived for Irish rugby Sunday, four long years and 80 agonising minutes after their most harrowing World Cup defeat.
Ireland held on for a thrilling 16-15 victory over Argentina at Adelaide Oval, avenging the loss that knocked them out of the 1999 tournament.
The win put Ireland and Australia into the quarterfinals and Argentina out of the tournament. Ireland will play Australia next weekend with the winner to top pool A.
”It’s a fantastic feeling,” said Ireland centre Brian O’Driscoll. ”I know the flipside to this, when Argentina knocked us out in 1999, so that makes this something sweeter.”
The Irish scored the only try but were never secure until the final whistle. Argentina put up a brave challenge and launched an incredible raid down the right, which threatened to steal the game in the final seconds.
Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan made a decisive move in the second half, replacing struggling flyhalf David Humphreys with Ronan O’Gara, a change that lifted the side and carried it across the line.
”The lads kept their composure, kept plugging away and showed a lot of guts,” O’Sullivan said. ”If we hadn’t expected this sort of match we might have buckled but we were well prepared.”
Ireland rugby fans packed out Adelaide Oval, turning the stands into a sea of green, and while in good voice for the team song they endured a frustrating night.
Argentina outplayed the Irish in the opening 40 minutes, and scored first through a Gonzalo Quesada penalty on eight minutes.
But the Pumas went to the break down 10-9 after Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan got the only try of the game on 19 minutes. It was Quinlan’s final touch of the match, and perhaps the tournament.
Ireland captain Keith Wood seized on a loose ball in the centre of the ground and as the Argentine players stood waiting for a whistle, the bald hooker stormed upfield. Quinlan loomed outside and had the legs to hold off opposing fullback Ignacio Corleto.
As his teammates celebrated, Quinlan lay in agony on the ground and came off straight away with a dislocated shoulder, then was taken to hospital.
Humphreys slotted the conversion and added a penalty for a 10-3 lead. Argentina was making good ground through the middle and flanker Rolando Martin was causing damage running off his centers.
The Pumas gambled and lost from one penalty virtually underneath Ireland’s crossbar. Instead of the easy kick for goal, they tried to rumble across for a try only to lose the ball and watch it powered 70m downfield by Kevin Maggs.
The next time Argentina was within range, Quesada drilled through a low drop goal. He never looked like he was in control, but the three points were welcome.
Then, on 33 minutes, Ireland’s Malcolm O’Kelly gave away a penalty in a ruck and Quesada cut the gap to a point.
The flyhalf had a chance to put Argentina ahead three minutes after the restart but sent his attempt from 33m and 5m in from the left touch just across the face of goal.
The intensity increased over the next 10 minutes, forward packs hammering each other and backlines trying, but failing, to find a spark.
O’Sullivan removed Humphreys and sent O’Gara on at flyhalf in a bid to break the game open, but Argentina were first to add second-half points.
Ignacio Corleta took a pass 42m out on the left and, under no Irish pressure, struck a sweet drop goal for a 12-10 lead.
But O’Gara got the Irish backline going forward to good effect and restored Ireland’s lead with a penalty from the left on 61 minutes. The goal lifted the men in green and Argentina were forced into desperate midfield defence, let down miserably by Corleta.
His drop goal was sublime but his next kick disastrous. It screwed off his boot across field where Wood snaffled it and set off down the left flank. Ireland strung together their best attack of the game and the Pumas were caught offside, allowing O’Gara an easy penalty from in front.
Ireland’s forwards were finally starting to overpower their tiring opponents and Argentina were unable to get good ball in the Irish half.
Quesada got a chance from 40m and took it, the penalty cutting the margin to a point with six minutes remaining.
It was a frantic finish. As Argentina got into the Irish half they rushed matters, Quesada shaping for an optimistic drop goal from 50m but being unable to pull the trigger.
It looked like the final chance had gone but then star scrumhalf Agustin Pichot got his backline breaking down the right. Jose Nunez Piossek saw space open in front of him and went for glory but Ireland fullback Girvan Dempsey came across and made a tackle Ireland had waited years for. — Sapa-AP