Farrell laments poor discipline despite Ireland's win

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell expressed relief at his side's hard-fought 22-19 victory over Argentina at the Aviva Stadium but highlighted his frustration with their continued disciplinary issues.

Despite taking an early lead, Ireland faced a determined comeback from Los Pumas, who kept the hosts scoreless for the final 48 minutes of the match.

Ireland seemed to have control after Joe McCarthy’s third try, building a 22-9 lead with just over 30 minutes played. However, Felipe Contepomi's Argentina refused to relent, with the visitors tightening their defense and taking advantage of Ireland's indiscipline to claw their way back into contention.

"It was three or four games in one, wasn’t it really? Obviously, the overriding feeling is we’re delighted to get the win. But we said last week we had a chance of winning ugly. We did that this week, and that’s a plus," he told told RTÉ Sport.

Farrell praised Ireland's intent at the start, emphasizing their direct and aggressive play. However, he acknowledged that pressure from both Argentina and self-inflicted errors brought Los Pumas back into the game.

Discipline has been a recurring issue for Ireland, with the team conceding 13 penalties—more than twice as many as their opponents. This marked the third consecutive game where penalties have allowed their opponents to remain in contention.

Argentina’s Tomas Albornoz capitalized on these errors, kicking four penalties to keep the scoreboard pressure on Ireland. Of the 66 points Ireland has conceded in their last three games, a significant 54 have come from penalty kicks.

"Our discipline at times was desperate," Farrell told Virgin Media Sport after the game, emphasizing the need for immediate improvement.