Lowdown in Lens

Ireland, Pumas ready to slug it out for quarterfinal berth

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Posted: Tuesday October 19, 1999 03:47 PM

Warren Gatland knows that Argentina likes "to use their big forwards and dominate the scrum." Micheal Cooper/Allsport

PARIS (AP) -- It probably won't be the prettiest match of the World Cup, but Wednesday's playoff between Ireland and Argentina promises to be one of the most competitive.

The stakes are enormous: a Dublin quarterfinal against a French team undermined by poor form, injuries and suspensions awaits the winner.

With both teams better known for fighting spirit than flair, there will be no place for the faint-hearted in Lens.

Argentina is ready for a battle to make it to the quarterfinals for the first time.

"We are never better than when it is a matter of life or death and Ireland on a neutral group is an enormous challenge," said third-row forward Rolando Martin. "When you need courage a Puma will never turn his back."

Ireland's New Zealand-born coach Warren Gatland predicts that the scrap between the two sets of forwards will be decisive.

"Argentina plays to a pattern," he said. "They like to use their big forwards and dominate the scrum, which is good without being outstanding."

"We have one of the best at the World Cup and we hope to exploit that. We will attack their scrum."

Gatland expects a close match.

"They are good enough to give problems to anyone in the world and they are very difficult to score against," he said.

Argentina conceded only 51 points in its three group games. Gatland's team went six points better, giving it the third best defense of the tournament so far.

Ireland won the last meeting between the teams -- 32-24 two months ago at Landsdowne Road, when the Pumas scored 14 unanswered points in the last five minutes to make the score respectable.

But Gatland and Argentine coach Alex Wyllie, another Kiwi, both say the Dublin meeting won't have any bearing on Wednesday's match.

Ireland starts as favorite, but the South Americans pose a big threat.

Though they only advanced to the playoffs as best third-placed team, the Pumas ended with the same number of points as Group D rivals Wales and Samoa.

Argentina has won 93 percent of its lineouts, the best record in the tournament, and in Gonzalo Quesada has the top scorer.

"They will possess fewer problems in loose play than the Samoans would have, but we have talked a lot about discipline," Gatland said. "We can't give away too many penalties."

 

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