Five takeaways from Ireland v Argentina as November series hits halfway point
The team needs wholesale changes for Fiji - there are eight players who shouldn't be next nor near the team sheet and eight who should
Ireland may have had a roller-coaster ride against Argentina but they got the result they craved, a victory.
There was plenty to dissect in the aftermath, a first half of attacking dash, a second-half of dogged perseverance.
While, intriguingly, there were a number of parts that invited comparisons with what had happened the week before against the All Blacks.
READ MORE: Ireland bounce back from All Blacks defeat with narrow Pumas win
We take a look at some of those talking points and try to add the two cents as to what they mean not only in the context of what was but of what will be with November Series games yet to come against Fiji and Australia.
1. CAELAN DORIS
Caelan Doris reassured anyone who had any doubts that the time was right for him to assume the captaincy, quelling any fears that there might be a repeat of his low key performance against New Zealand.
Because, make no mistake, Andy Farrell's blueprint is committed to having the Leinster leader as the man making the decisions through to the next Rugby World Cup and, should the Man of Steel get the next term as Ireland boss, beyond.
There is a presence about Doris that is understated; he is an unlikely candidate to start kicking chairs around the room and banging his head off walls but, and to borrow from Paul O'Connell's thought process, that is not the modern way.
Rugby players, to borrow from Brian O'Driscoll/Gordon D'Arcy's thought process, are not soccer players but, lads, they are not as far away as they used to be.
2. DEFENCE
There is a pleasing aspect to the idea that Ireland's defence - specifically the forwards - isn't so much initiating the kind of gridlock Dublin city centre often falls foul of but more resembles New York city gridlock and can be just as suffocating.
Friday night's back-row tackle stats were as good as they are supposed to be against a top tier nation and, indeed, Josh van der Flier (24 tackles) is the poster boy. As the game is hellbent on speeding itself up, trying to create more time with the ball in play, so the no7's tackle count rises to the occasion.
Doris (18 tackles) and Tadhg Beirne (15 tackles) chipped in here as did Peter O'Mahony when he came on from the bench albeit it is possible his most important statistic was a lineout steal, Ireland's only one of the game.
JVDF aside, the gold medal for defence goes to James Ryan (14 tackles in 61 minutes ) who was superb here for the second week in a row, a player who looks to have returned to form again after something of a slump. Joe McCarthy (14 tackles) had a similar defensive figure for his 70 minutes.
The front-row, and this is trademark for a Farrell side, were also marked present and correct, Andrew Porter (14 tackles), Ronan Kelleher (18 tackles) and posting a number that is 'high' for a tighthead Finlay Bealham (12 tackles).
3. INITIATING CHANGE
Andy Farrell has become a creature of habit, most notably since the return from the Rugby World Cup in France, and is reluctant to hand out starting jerseys cheaply.
Ireland started Keenan, Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe, Sexton, Gibson-Park, Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Beirne, Henderson, O'Mahony, JVDF and Doris in the quarter-final against New Zealand at Stade de France - it was hardly fin de siecle for those players as, other than Johnny Sexton, they are all still involved.
There have been nine games since RWC 2023 and narey a pudding among the opposition as they comprised the Six Nations campaign, South Africa twice, New Zealand and Argentina.
James Lowe, Jack Crowley, Andrew Porter, Joe McCarthy have started all nine, Caelan Doris, JVDF, Tadhg Beirne and Robbie Henshaw have started eight which doesn't help identify just who is in the succession stakes.
Fiji are in town this Saturday and by dint of dropping those who we know so much about, is it time for Jacob Stockdale, Ciaran Frawley/Sam Prendergast, Michael Milne, Ryan Baird, Cian Prendergast, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timony (please call in Alex Kendellen) and Jamie Osborne to get a start?
4. JACK CROWLEY
There was more than just a touch of bounceback from Jack Crowley's performance as what we got to see was a touch of strong-willed determination that, maybe, we were beginning to doubt was there.
Perhaps that's a bit strong but it has been difficult to watch the out-of-form Munster playing their way through a myriad of problems and with a relatively inexperienced out-half trying to forge his way.
Ireland/Munster are still paying for indulging Joey Carbery for so long while, thankfully, Friday's performance can put this one here to bed - a worry that Alex Nankivell, when playing for the Reds, was providing all the bottle in the 10/12 channel.
Crowley's try against the Pumas was excellent, identifying a prop in the defensive line, taking the pass and slicing in. All top class no10's can drop the shoulder to make the short distance and Crowley dropped the shoulder to make the short distance.
5. ARGENTINA
It is hardly wrong for Ireland fans to want Argentina to do well, Michael Cheika was the author of great change in Irish rugby via turning Leinster around, Felipe Contepomi is one of our favourite adopted sons.
Whatever about the controversial Cheika and his relationship with authority, his supposedly having favourites at every club that makes others feel angry and excluded, his bringing the Pumas to the RWC 2023 semi-final and resurrecting Leicester Tigers have shown he lost little of his magic sprinkle.
Contepomi has had two bites of the Cheika apple, firstly as a player at Leinster and then as an assistant at Argentina and while his methods appear to be different he is garnering similar plaudits.
But then Contepomi, well dressed, well spoken and well versed as he is, mightn't be all that different to the Australian as it was explained to me at the weekend his 'trick' is to hold players individually accountable. He believes in individual high standards and can be quite the hard man around them.
Is Contepomi a potential future Leinster coach. Certainly, he'd make for a very, very good candidate whenever the job is next up.
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