Ireland in front at half-time.

An intercept try from Brian Carney converted by Paddy Wallace, who also added a penalty, has Ireland deservedly leading Argentina 10-6 in Santa Fe this evening.

Wallace had given his side the lead with a penalty after just five minutes and there was nothing fortuitous about Carney’s try two minutes later, the Munster man brilliantly reading Felipe Contepomi’s attempted long pass to race in under the posts from half-way.

Contepomi put his side on the scoreboard with a 15th minute penalty and he landed a second in the 38th minute after Bryan Young was penalised for dropping a knee into the belly of the prone Mario Ayerza, the Irish prop lucky to have remained on the field for his needless action.

Argentina: B Stortoni (Bristol); T De Vedia (Saracens), M Avramovic (Worcester Warriors), H Senillosa (Hindu), F Leonelli (Glasgow Warriors); F Contepomi (Leinster) capt,  N Vergallo (Jockey Club Rosario); M Ayerza (Leicester Tigers),  A Vernet Basualdo (Alumni),  S Gonzalez Bonorino (Capitolina);  P Bouza (Leeds), E Lozada (CASI);  M Durand (Montpellier),  JM Fernandez Lobbe (Sale Sharks), JM Leguizamon (London Irish).     Replacements:  M Cortese (Northampton Saints),  JC Fernandez Miranda, H Agulla (both Hindu), G Fessia (Cordoba Athletic),  J Stuart (both CASI),  L Lopez Fleming (Edinburgh Gunners), P Cardinali (CSBJ Rugby).

Ireland: G Duffy; B Carney, A Trimble, K Lewis, T Bowe; P Wallace, I Boss; B Young, J Flannery, S Best capt;  T Hogan, M O’Kelly; N Best, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: B Jackman, T Buckley, M O’Driscoll, S Ferris, T O’Leary, G Murphy, B Murphy