Requiring a result to get their autumn back on track, Argentina are hardly ideal opponents.
While last Friday’s defeat saw Ireland beaten by the side who have got the better of them in the past two World Cup quarter-finals, this weekend brings them head-to-head with the most frequent thorn in their side at those global showpieces.
Los Pumas have knocked Ireland out of three World Cups, in 1999, 2007 and 2015, although the most recent of those successes is their only win from the past nine meetings between the pair.
On their last visit to Dublin three years ago, they were beaten 53-7 when, in contrast to this week, Ireland were coming in buoyed by a memorable victory over the All Blacks.
While the core of the Irish team and staff remains the same, Argentina have had two different head coaches since then. Mario Ledesma was followed by Michael Cheika for last year’s World Cup with the now Leicester Tigers coach handing over to Felipe Contepomi after the semi-final exit in France.
The former fly-half, who preceded Johnny Sexton in the Leinster 10 jersey, worked with plenty of Ireland’s matchday 23 during his spell as the province’s assistant coach between 2018 and 2022, and has masterminded some impressive results in his short time at the helm of his country.
Led by the likes of Saracens’ Juan Martin Gonzalez and Juan Cruz Mallia of Toulouse, his Argentina side beat South Africa, Australia and New Zealand during the Rugby Championship this year and split a July series with France, while developing an attacking brand of rugby.
