Nations Championship

Ireland (21) 42

Tries: Keenan 3, Sheehan, Prendergast, Kelleher Cons: Prendergast 5, Frawley

Argentina (5) 12

Tries: Carreras 2 Con: Albornoz

Hugo Keenan scored a hat-trick of tries as Ireland opened the home leg of the Nations Championship with a commanding bonus-point win over Argentina in Dublin.

In addition to Keenan, captain Dan Sheehan, Sam Prendergast and Ronan Kelleher crossed as Andy Farrell’s side punished a messy and ill-disciplined Pumas outfit, who scored twice through wing Mateo Carreras.

On a deeply disappointing night for Argentina, who are still without an away win over Ireland after 12 attempts, Justo Piccardo and Ephraim Elias were sin-binned while they lost captain Julian Montoya to a failed head injury assessment before half-time.

But having closed the summer with a 40-21 loss to New Zealand in Auckland, it was a satisfying evening for Ireland, who move top of the northern hemisphere table before France, Scotland and England’s matches this weekend.

With an opening home win secured, Ireland host Fiji next week before world champions South Africa visit Dublin on 21 November.

In 2024 and 2025, Ireland opened the autumn with dispiriting defeats by the All Blacks, but Argentina were not able to offer a similarly unforgiving examination here.

But the Pumas, who arrived in Dublin with just one win in six this year, initially silenced the crowd with a beautifully worked try.

Following a patient multi-phase attack, out-half Tomas Albornoz booted to the corner, where Carreras towered above diminutive Ireland scrum-half Craig Casey to claim the ball and score.

Casey was one of the surprise Irish selections, having been picked ahead of long-time Farrell favourite Jamison Gibson-Park. To his credit, Casey shook off his mismatch with Carreras to win the turnover penalty that put Ireland on the front foot for the first time as Argentina quickly lost their early momentum.

From the resulting line-out, Ireland’s back three collectively carved Argentina open. The excellent Rob Baloucoune tore through midfield and offloaded to Hansen, who defied pressure from Bautista Delguy to send Keenan through.

Similar to Casey’s selection, the inclusion of Nick Timoney ahead of Josh van der Flier was reflective of Farrell’s intent to shake things up.

A thoroughly dependable operator, Timoney impressed at open-side flanker in the first half, turning Albornoz over before popping up in a line-out strike play to put Sheehan through for Ireland’s second.

With the Argentine set-piece already creaking, the returning Ryan Baird stole a line-out and set Ireland on their way to a third as Hansen found Keenan again for the British and Irish Lions full-back’s second.

Already trailing 21-5, Argentina’s resolve was severely tested in the closing minutes of the half.

Having lost outside centre Piccardo to a yellow card, captain Montoya failed a head injury assessment (HIA), but when his replacement Leonel Oviedo was also went withdrawn for a HIA, loose-head prop Boris Wenger was forced to fill in at hooker.

Ireland also lost Sheehan to a head knock after he was denied a second try.

Within two minutes of the restart, Prendergast – who shook off a wrist injury to start at fly-half – ghosted through a hole in the Argentina defence to score his first international try and secure the bonus point.

While Carreras pounced for his second three minutes later following an enterprising run from Santiago Chocobares, Keenan completed his hat-trick following a clever offload from Baird.

As fatigue set in for Argentina, Kelleher touched down following a maul with a try that further sucked the energy out of the game following Elias’ yellow card for a high hit on Keenan.

With the game beyond Argentina, both sides were guilty of messy passages as the game wore on, with Ireland replacement tight-head prop Sam Illo yellow carded on the hour for driving early at a maul.

While a seventh try eluded the Irish, Farrell will likely be contented rather than thrilled by his side’s performance, with slick passages and fine finishing mixed with the odd careless moment.

However, while Argentina were a shadow of the adventurous attacking unit that pushed Ireland all the way in 2024 and beat Farrell’s British and Irish Lions in Dublin last year, a 30-point win is a solid platform from which the Irish can build as they switch focus to Fiji before another mouthwatering tussle with the Springboks.

Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Robert Baloucoune, Rob Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Mack Hansen; Sam Prendergast, Craig Casey; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan (capt), Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney, Sean Jansen.

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Tom O’Toole, Sam Illo, James Ryan, Josh Van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ciaran Frawley, Jamie Osborne.

Sin-bin: Illo (60)

Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia; Bautista Delguy, Justo Piccardo, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Boris Wenger, Julian Montoya (capt), Franciso Moreno, Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera.

Replacements: Leonel Oviedo, Mayco Vivas, Joel Sclavi, Efrain Elias, Juan Martin Seelzo, Simon Belitez Cruz, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Lucio Cinti.

Sin-bin: Piccardo (34), Elias (54)

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)

Assistant referees: Hollie Davidson (SRU) and Morne Ferreira (SARU)

Television match official: Andrew Jackson (RFU)

Foul play review officer: Matteo Liperini (FIR)