Ireland smashed Argentina 42‑12 at the Aviva Stadium, with Hugo Keenen scoring a hat‑trick and the side clinching the Admiral Brown Cup.
The Aviva Stadium in Dublin turned into a showcase of Irish rugby on the Friday night of 6 November 2026. In the fourth round of the Nations Rugby 2026 tournament, Ireland hosted Argentina and walked away with a decisive 42-12 triumph.
The match featured a flurry of tries, a flawless kicking display and the lifting of the Admiral Brown Cup, underscoring Ireland’s growing dominance over the Pumas.
Early shock and swift Irish response
Argentina startled the home crowd in the opening ten minutes when wing Mateo Carreras collected a perfectly timed cross-field kick from Tomás Albornoz and grounded the ball over the line.
The conversion was missed, leaving the visitors with a 5-0 lead. The Irish back-line answered within five minutes: a swift ruck earned territory, Rob Baloucoune cut the defensive line, fed Mack Hansen, who slipped the ball to full-back Hugo Keenen.
Keenen dived over for the first try, and Sam Prendergast added the conversion, flipping the scoreboard to 7-5.
Half-time surge: three tries before the break
The momentum continued when captain Dan Sheehan powered through a gap created by Nick Timoney and, after a brief scramble, crashed over for a five-pointer. Prendergast’s reliable boot pushed the lead to 14-5 after just 26 minutes. Keenen, returning from a long absence, struck again at the thirty-minute mark, evading two defenders before touching down for his second try of the game. A second conversion by Prendergast extended the advantage to 21-5 at the break, a lead that reflected Ireland’s clinical execution in both the 22-meter line and the breakdown.
Second-half fireworks and the final tally
Early in the second half, Sam Prendergast showcased his speed, snatching an off-load near the posts, sprinting 22 metres and diving over for the fourth Irish try. He then converted his own effort, pushing the scoreboard to 28-5. Argentina fought back at 46 minutes: Carreras, after a hard-run through a maul, grounded his second try, and Albornoz finally nailed the conversion, trimming the deficit to 28-12. Keenen completed his hat-trick just four minutes later, exploiting a lineout steal by Ryan Baird and sprinting under the posts for his third score. The final Irish try arrived at 55 minutes when replacement hooker Rónan Kelleher surged from a dominant maul, touching down to make it 42-12. Conversion duties fell to Ciarán Frawley, sealing the final margin.
Key performances, trophies and historical context
The match produced six Irish tries, five of which were successfully converted, while Argentina managed two tries and a lone conversion. Hugo Keenen earned the Man of the Match accolade, his three-try haul prompting the headline-making chant “Keenan at the double!”. Coach Andy Farrell praised the side’s execution but cautioned that “we have to be more ruthless”, hinting at a desire for even tighter defence in future tests. The victory marked Ireland’s 15th Test success over Argentina and secured the Admiral Brown Cup, a trophy first contested between the two nations in 2012. With the win, Ireland also collected their 15th Test victory against the Pumas, emphasizing a long-term trend: 14 of the last 20 meetings since 1990 have gone to the Irish, including all 11 clashes on Irish soil.
