Keenan Scores Hat-Trick as Ireland Beat Argentina 42-12
Hugo Keenan scored three tries as Ireland beat Argentina 42-12 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday, in the Nations Championship. BBC Sport reported that Ireland scored six tries in all, and the win earned them a bonus point.
A bonus point is an extra table point awarded for scoring four or more tries, and Ireland collected it with a comfortable margin to spare. It was also the opening match of Ireland's home leg of the tournament, and the first of four November internationals for the nation.
Ireland were 21-5 ahead at half-time. Argentina's Mateo Carreras scored both of their tries, and the visitors had to work hard to stay in touch for long spells of the first half.
Keenan's hat-trick was the headline, but he was not the only scorer. Dan Sheehan, Sam Prendergast and Ronan Kelleher also crossed the line for Ireland. Prendergast, the fly-half who runs the team's attacking plan from the number ten shirt, was passed fit to start after a spell of doubt, and he helped set the tempo.
Head coach Andy Farrell made six changes from the side that lost 40-21 to New Zealand in their previous Nations Championship game. Craig Casey was named to start at scrum-half, and Keenan, Rob Baloucoune, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey and Mack Hansen were all included in the matchday squad. Rotation like that is always a gamble, and it paid off here.
The match was not without setbacks for Argentina. Their captain, Julian Montoya, failed a head injury assessment before half-time. An HIA is a check carried out on the field when a player may have taken a knock to the head, and it is there to protect them. Montoya did not return to the action. Justo Piccardo was also sent to the sin-bin, meaning he had to spend ten minutes off the pitch, leaving his side a man light for that period.
Ireland's start to the Nations Championship has been strong. They beat the Wallabies 33-31 in their opening match in July, a tight contest that went to the final minutes. They followed that with a 36-20 win over Japan, scoring five tries in the process. The defeat to New Zealand was their only loss of the run so far, and this result gives them a useful response.
For Argentina, the scoreline will sting, but the performance had moments of spirit. Carreras's two tries showed they can still find space against a strong defence. For Ireland, the bigger picture is clear enough: a fast, varied attack that found five different try scorers, and a squad with depth to spare.
