Andy Farrell demanded a response, and his players just about delivered one, as Ireland got back to winning ways by surviving a major second-half comeback from Argentina.
The Ireland head coach admitted that the squad felt like they had let people down with such an uncharacteristically insipid performance in last week’s defeat to New Zealand, but despite a strong first-half showing, a poor, error-strewn second-half made for a very nervy finish at the Aviva Stadium.
For Argentina, the search for their first win in Ireland will stretch to a 12th game, as Felipe Contepomi’s rapidly improving Pumas just about ran out of steam at the end of the long, travel-weary season.
The damage was done in the opening 40 minutes, as Ireland ran in three tries through Jack Crowley, Mack Hansen and Joe McCarthy, and crucially, they managed to hold Argentina out with a huge defensive set just before the break.
Leading 22-9, rather than press home their commanding lead, Ireland were clinging on right until the death, as they almost paid a heavy price for failing to score in the second-half.
Ireland’s discipline was again a major issue, as two yellow cards and 13 penalty concessions to go with last week’s 13, threatened to cost them a game that they were in control of.
With Jack Crowley confidently pulling the strings in the first-half, the Ireland attack, which was also aided by an improved lineout, was far more potent before sloppy mistakes again began to creep into their play.
Crowley linked brilliantly with Robbie Henshaw on his outside, as the centre fully vindicated his recall to the starting team ahead of Bundee Aki.
Locks Joe McCarthy, who spent 10 minutes in the sin bin, and James Ryan put in big shifts on both sides of the ball, while Tadhg Beirne and Josh van der Flier were excellent in the back-row.
21-year-old Sam Prendergast got 22 minutes off the bench for his debut, while his Leinster team-mate, tighthead Thomas Clarkson (24) also made his first appearance in green.
One of the biggest roars of the night was reserved for Cian Healy, as the veteran prop was introduced late on to draw level with Brian O’Driscoll as the country’s most capped player (133).
Things might have worked out very differently had Matias Moroni not had a second minute try chalked off, but play was correctly called back for earlier foul play, as the Argentinian centre saw yellow for making head contact with Crowley.
That major let-off sparked the hosts into life, and when the lineout fired off Ryan’s catch, Ireland ran a beautiful training ground dummy move, with Jamison Gibson-Park peeling down the blindside, which opened up the space for Rónan Kelleher on the peel.
The hooker made good ground with a strong carry, and that was followed by another from Andrew Porter before Crowley danced his way over for his second international try.
The Munster out-half made it 7-0, and it wasn’t long before he was lining up another conversion after Hansen finished off a sweeping move that started with a Garry Ringrose break and a clever inside pass from Beirne.
Crowley couldn’t add the extras on this occasion, as Tomas Albornoz halved the deficit with two penalties either side of a disallowed Beirne try for a knock-on.
Finlay Bealham was sent to the sin bin for a croc-roll on his opposite number Joel Sclavi, but Crowley’s clever game-management came to the fore, as he bisected the posts with an excellent drop-goal.
Albornoz quickly cancelled that out with a third successful shot at goal, but as soon as Ireland were restored to 15 players, they struck for a third first-half try.
Again it came from a well-constructed lineout move, as Henshaw carried and passed inside for James Lowe before Gibson-Park put McCarthy over for a strong finish from close-range.
Crowley converted from the touchline, and while they rode their luck with three consecutive penalties deep inside their own 22, the Ireland defence held firm against the barrage of Pumas pressure to maintain their 22-9 lead heading into the break.
Ireland took their eye off the ball upon the restart, as Toulouse’s brilliant versatile back Juan Cruz Mallia scored a stunning converted try that left Hansen for dead in the back-field.
Things were going from bad to worse for Ireland, who lost McCarthy to a yellow card for persistent infringements, as Albornoz brought his side to within four points (22-19).
Just as he did against the All Blacks, Farrell looked to his bench around the hour mark from a winning position, and despite Ryan Baird being forced with a head injury just after coming on, the replacements saw out the win.
Rather than take the three points on offer with 10 minutes remaining, Ireland ran a quick-tap, which came to nothing, but Argentina’s hopes of completing a stunning comeback were scuppered when replacement tighthead Francisco Gomez Kodela was yellow-carded for a dangerous clear-out on Caelan Doris.
But Ireland still required a late Argentinian knock-on to survive an almighty scare.
Ireland: H Keenan; M Hansen, G Ringrose, R Henshaw (J Osborne 62), J Lowe; J Crowley (S Prendergast 62), J Gibson-Park (C Casey 74); A Porter, R Kelleher (R Herring 63), F Bealham (T Clarkson 53); J McCarthy, J Ryan (R Baird 62) (P O’Mahony 64); T Beirne, J van der Flier (Clarkson 24-29), C Doris.
Argentina: J Cruz Mallia; R Isgro (S Carreras 57), L Cinti (J Piccardo 59), M Moroni, B Delguy; T Albornoz, G Bertranou (G Garcia 46); T Gallo (I Calles 21-35, 72), J Montoya (capt) (I Ruiz 22-33, 62), J Sclavi (F Gomez Kodela 52); G Petti (F Molina 52), P Rubiolo; P Matera (S Grondona 62), J M Gonzalez, J Oviedo.
Referee:P Williams (New Zealand)