Ireland 17 Argentina 3:Ireland will like the score line and the inventiveness of Ronan O'Gara for Tommy Bowe's late try. But they will look at this match and know that there is as much to fix on the team as admire.

That Ireland came home in style to secure their IRB ranking of eighth and gain some revenge for their World Cup defeat in France will ensure smiles for a pragmatic and efficient display, where the end clearly justified the means.

Ireland's cause was enhanced before a ball was kicked when Juan Martin Hernandez left the field holding his groin during Argentina's warm up only to withdraw from the starting line-up minutes later.

Such an influential departure to add to that of Leinster's Felipe Contepomi, who had earlier pulled out with an infected hand, gravely weakened the Pumas. The replacement for Hernandez was the 22-year-old uncapped Santiago Fernandez.

Still Ireland struggled throughout the first quarter to find a controlling tempo as both sides demonstrated an opening phase of scrappy kicking that persisted into the second half. Argentina's line-outs were back-firing so that attacking platform was unavailable to them.

While Ireland had plenty of possession their decision-making and precision passing simply weren't available with the first opportunity to score coming on 23 minutes with their opening penalty. But O'Gara, who has miscued a drop goal effort just a minute before from 45 metres out and into the wind, also pushed his penalty right of the posts.

From there into half-time the 68,352 attendance at Croke Park was eerily quiet, due largely to the lack of enterprise from both teams.

While Ireland shaded the possession they constructed just one dangerous break over the 40 minutes, when Tommy Bowe broke free from his 22 and made 50 metres up into the Argentine territory.

David Wallace was in support and when he was grounded the off-load hit the supporting Stephen Ferris who knocked on. Unfortunately Wallace was blind to the supporting Rob Kearney on his other side. It was a glaring handling error from the Ulster flanker, who otherwise was having an impressive game with some big hits and ball carrying.

Argentina finally opened the scoring from their second penalty after a clearly pumped up O'Gara was penalised for charging into a ruck and hitting Argentina prop, Rodrigo Roncero, with his shoulder.

That rush of blood handed Fernandez and easy kick from 25 metres which this time sailed over for 3-0. Three minutes later as Ireland swept into the Argentina 22, hooker Mario Ledesma failed to come in through the gate and New Zealand referee, Bryce Lawrence, offered the frustrated O'Gara the chance to settle on 3-3 going into the break.

On resumption O'Gara was again involved, this time for not releasing in Argentina's first sweep forward of the second half and again Ireland were let off the hook as the debutant outhalf, Fernandez, pulled the straightforward kick left.

That miss was compounded by Ireland taking the lead just minutes later, this time an infringement in a lineout deep in Argentine territory giving O'Gara his third kick. Again he found the mark on 50 minutes to put Ireland 6-3 in front.

But the match was shifting on narrow margins and when Tomás O'Leary's kick was blocked down by flanker Matin Durand, it took the reactions of a sharp-eyed O'Gara to scramble across and save what probably would have been a try.

In truth few could see a try arriving from either side. Ireland did not look inventive and struggled to string together any backline moves that troubled their weakened opposition.

The Irish territorial kicking was also wayward but by the fourth quarter, the home side began to squeeze more effectively, although an O'Gara drop goal attempt on 66 minutes indicated how desperate Ireland were to win the match and how little the home side was offering out wide.

Three minutes later O'Gara was accurate from 40 metres out for 9-3 with another drop goal and on 75 minutes added a third penalty for 12-3 as Ireland closed out the match efficiently but without any real authority.

The impressive Wallace was stretched off four minutes from the end after his face made contact with an Argentine forearm, an injury that could add to Munster's woes. Jerry Flannery also hobbled off in the first half with Heineken Cup fare just weeks away.
But Bowe's uplifting try on 77 minutes from an expert cross-field punt from O'Gara ended the match on a high and with Ireland in the ascendant. It was a job done but with much more to do before Declan Kidney can begin to think of a Six Nations Championship.

Scoring sequence: 36 mins:Fernandez pen 0-3; 39:O'Gara pen 3-3. Half-time. 50:O'Gara pen 6-3; 69:O'Gara drop goal 3-9; 75:O'Gara pen 12-3; 77:T Bowe try 17-3.

Ireland:G Murphy; T Bowe, B O'Driscoll (capt), L Fitzgerald; R Kearney; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, S Ferris, J Heaslip, D Wallace. Replacements:R Best for Flannery 14, D Ryan for Wallace 76.
Argentina:H Agulla; F Leonelli, F Aramburu, M Aramovic, R Carballo; S Fernandez, N Vergallo; R Roncero, M Ledesma, J Orlandi, R Kairelis, P Albacete, M Durand, J Leguizamon, J Lobbe 9capt). Replacements:M Ayerza for Orlandi 48; E Lozada for Kairelis 54; B Stortoni for Morey and A Figuerola for Vergallo 61.
Yellow card:R Roncero 79 mins.