Earls and Murray start for Ireland in World Cup quarter final

Ireland’s 24-9 victory proved costly with iconic captain and lock Paul O’Connell and flanker Peter O’Mahony ruled out of the rest of the tournament with injuries and man-of-the-match Sean O’Brien banned for a week for punching France lock Pascal Pape.

“As much as we’d love to, we can’t give him new hamstrings but we can make him a bloody massive statue that will hopefully help to further rally the already bonkers Irish support”.

Early tries from centre Matias Moroni and winger Juan Imhoff silenced the passionate Irish following in the 72,316 Millennium Stadium crowd and when Sanchez kicked the first of his five penalties, the Pumas were 17-0 up after 14 minutes. “We need to be strong”.

“But there are always risks in everything you do”, Schmidt said.

Hammering into contact and transferring the ball through the hands of backs and forwards alike at pace, it took only four minutes for Moroni to score in the corner after a sweeping move.

Iain Henderson had been touted as a possible replacement for O’Mahony at blindside flanker, the Ulsterman instead returns to the second row and the no 6 shirt goes to Jordi Murphy.

Argentina also lost a key player to suspension in Marcelo Bosch, cited for a risky tackle against Namibia.

Loose forward Juan Manuel Leguizamon misses the match because of injury but the back row of Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Leonardo Senatore will test the Irish at the breakdown and, no doubt, target Sexton’s defensive channel.

The pranksters at bookmaker Paddy Power have struck again in Cardiff this morning ahead of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final with Argentina.

A week of intensive medical treatment and rehabilitation has restored Ireland’s leading point scorer and backline tactician to a position where “he is ready to go”, Schmidt said Friday.

“Chris has played through a whole 6 Nations with us, and played exceptionally well”.