Ireland made a late alteration to their matchday squad before kick-off against Argentina at Lansdowne Road on Friday evening, with Jamie Osborne taking Bundee Aki's place among the replacements after Aki was ruled out through illness, according to The Irish Times.
The change was confirmed shortly before the Nations Championship fixture, which opened Ireland's home run towards the 2027 World Cup. Referee Luke Pearce started the match, with Tomás Albornoz kicking off into the Irish 22.
Why it matters
The switch removed a seasoned centre from Ireland's bench options on a night when the hosts were already fielding a reshaped side. The Irish Times reported that Ireland entered the game with a new-look back three, Hugo Keenan at fullback flanked by Rob Baloucoune and Mack Hansen on the wings.
Keenan's attacking form was a talking point beforehand. According to Opta figures cited by The Irish Times, he was the only player in this year's Nations Championship to have crossed the gainline on every carry among those with 10 or more, having done so on all 18 of his runs.
Early exchanges produce two tries
Argentina struck first with a try The Irish Times described as sublime. Ireland were stretched inside their own 22 and Keenan was forced into a try-saving tackle on Delguy near the touchline. After Argentina recycled possession, Albornoz kicked across to the opposite flank, where Carreras won an aerial contest against Casey and touched down in the corner.
Ireland responded with a team score. From a lineout, the hosts worked the ball into midfield to release Baloucoune, whose pace carried play into the 22. He offloaded to Hansen, who appeared to be well covered by Delguy but produced an offload over onrushing defenders to send Keenan over.
The Irish Times reported that Ireland needed a timely intervention around the 20-minute mark. Argentina had been driving forward phase after phase close to the ruck, with their forwards setting an intensity the hosts struggled to contain. Five metres from the line, Jansen won a breakdown penalty to ease the pressure.
There was an anxious moment for Ireland three minutes later when Prendergast attempted a cross-kick towards Baloucoune. The ball was sliced badly and went straight to Carreras, handing Argentina a counter-attacking chance, but Keenan dealt with the subsequent kick in behind.
At the 24-minute mark, The Irish Times noted another breakdown penalty for Ireland, this one won by Timoney, with the reconfigured back row producing notable moments on the floor.
Pre-match context
The Irish Times reported that Ireland's set piece had been a weakness in July, when the side recorded the worst lineout success rate and the second-worst scrum record of all teams in the Nations Championship.
Attention also centred on Sean Jansen, handed a rare start at number eight with two Leinster back rows unavailable through injury. In his pre-match column, Conor Murray examined the Irish starting XV, including Sam Prendergast's form, James Ryan's move to the bench in a second-row shake-up, and Jansen's opportunity.
The evening carried a commemorative note, with former internationals Phil O'Callaghan and Fergus Slattery, former IRFU chief executive Philip Browne and Ciara Mageean remembered before kick-off.
The match was played with Ireland's attention already partly on next year's World Cup, The Irish Times reported, making the home stretch of the Nations Championship a significant staging post.
What to watch next: how Ireland's reshaped bench and new-look back row hold up as the Nations Championship continues, with the World Cup a year away.
