The Albany Gazette - Pumas seek historic win over 'hurt' Irish

The Pumas, though, have little fear about such records as they downed the mighty All Blacks for the first time in New Zealand in August.

Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi knows Ireland well having been a player and an assistant coach at Leinster and also was part of the Pumas side that beat the Irish on their way to finishing third in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Ireland counterpart Andy Farrell says his team are "hurt" and determined to rectify the errors they made last week.

AFP Sport picks out three things which could prove pivotal at Lansdowne Road:

History on Ireland's side

Farrell says the extra pressure for the Pumas game due to the flatness of the performance against the All Blacks is a good thing.

What heartens the 49-year-old Englishman is the history of the side in bouncing back immediately from defeats.

They retained their Six Nations crown this year by beating Scotland the week after they lost to England, and also came back against South Africa in July to tie the two-Test series.

The only time the Irish have lost two successive Tests under Farrell was in the 2021 Six Nations.

"We've talked about that, our story, this week quite a bit," said Farrell.

"Lessons learned from those defeats have been really good for us actually in our development.

"It makes a loss that hurts a little easier to take if that's the case, so there's a determination to make sure the same thing happens this week."

Familiarity works both ways

Contepomi enjoyed a successful career at Leinster and was assistant coach there till as recently as 2022.

The 47-year-old former fly-half will be well versed in the qualities and weaknesses of those lining up for Ireland.

However, he says such insights work both ways.

"Maybe it could have been an advantage if I could have played," he said.

"You can know the players and I've coached them, but it's our players who need to go and do their homework and know who they are playing against.

"So I don't know if it's an advantage. It's the same way as those players know how I think as well."

Contepomi says his players will be pretty knowledgeable about their opponents due to some of them playing in European competition.

Contepomi has relayed to the players some of what he experienced.

"I wouldn't put it as an advantage, it's just something that I try to transmit, what I know from Irish culture and Irish rugby and from some of the players," he said.

"But at the end of the day it's the individual and collective preparation that can make the difference."

Porter equal to Pumas task

The Argentinians have a well-earned reputation of churning out top-class scrummagers which tests every opponent.

Thankfully for Ireland in Andrew Porter they have a world-class prop, who has developed in no small part due to Cian Healy's mentoring him.

Both will be on show on Friday with the 37-year-old Healy set to equal former Leinster teammate Brian O'Driscoll's national record of 133 caps.

Whilst Healy is extremely humble about his approaching shared landmark, Farrell lauded him to the skies on Wednesday.

"The utmost respect doesn't do it justice," said Farrell.

"It has been a pleasure to be able to coach him.

"The transition that he's made in the last number of years in how he's not just accepted but relished the responsibility of being a mentor to somebody like Andrew Porter in the first instance.

"He's probably the Cian of 2013 isn't he when Cian was in his pomp? He's probably a world-class loose-head and Cian's part of the reason for that."

(K.Lee--TAG)