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Irish survive ferocious challenge

O'Gara
O'Gara came on as replacement and transformed the game

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ADELAIDE, Australia -- Ireland survived a fierce challenge from Argentina to qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals with a nerve-jangling 16-15 victory in Adelaide.

The Irish avenged their shock exit to the Pumas at the 1999 World Cup thanks to the introduction of replacement fly-half Ronan O'Gara.

He transformed the game midway through the second half with two timely penalties.

He hauled Ireland back from 12-10 down just when their bitter Pool A rivals looked like they were getting on top of a brutally physical contest.

Ireland now face Australia in Melbourne next week for a match that will decide who tops the pool and avoids a likely quarter-final with France.

The Irish were hanging on desperately at the end and had full-back Girvan Dempsey to thank for a last-ditch try-saving tackle on Argentina winger Jose Maria Piossek in the final minute.

Argentina began boldly, with scrum-half Agustin Pichot and fly-half Gonzalo Quesada spinning the ball wide at every opportunity.

The Pumas' adventurous early play was rewarded with a penalty from Quesada when Ireland lock Paul O'Connell was offside at a ruck after eight minutes.

Ireland responded strongly though, with Bath center Kevin Maggs regularly breaking the gain line in a sustained period of pressure in the opening quarter.

The opening try came just after 20 minutes when Argentina failed to control the ball on their throw at a lineout on halfway. Irish skipper Keith Wood gathered, burst into space and dummied fullback Ignacio Corleto brilliantly before offloading to flanker Alan Quinlan who galloped over for the score.

Fly-half David Humphreys converted and added another penalty to give Ireland what looked like a comfortable 10-3 advantage, but Argentina then got on top.

Locks Ignacio Lobbe and Rimas Alvarez worked tirelessly in the loose and were instrumental in giving the Pumas a lions share of possession throughout the half.

Quesada scudded a mis-hit drop goal to reduce arrears and added a second penalty to put Argentina within a point of Ireland after lock Malcolm O'Kelly had needlessly handled in a ruck.

With a stiff wind behind them Argentina started the second half as they finished the first, but squandered an opportunity to take the lead when a Quesada penalty from 40 meters dropped short.

Yet Ireland were powerless to relieve the pressure exerted by Argentina's forwards, who spent the first 20 minutes of the second half camped in Irish territory thanks to some shrewd tactical kicking by Quesada.

Ireland were also misfiring behind the scrum. Humphreys kicked more ball away than necessary, and after 56 minutes Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan replaced him with O'Gara.

A towering 40-meter drop goal from Corleto sent the Argentineans into a 12-10 lead but Ireland suddenly raised the tempo and surged back ferociously, with O'Gara getting his outside backs moving with more purpose.

Maggs set up a penalty from which O'Gara restored Ireland's lead, and an unlikely attack launched by Wood resulted in another three-pointer which nudged Ireland ahead at 16-12.

Quesada slotted his third penalty of the night to set up a nail-biting finale but Ireland clung on.


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