What's the Deal with Ireland and Argentina?

[RWC2011Fan]

Is this something that has been blown out of proportion by the media, or do these teams legitimately hate each other?
Can anyone elaborate on the history of these two? I know there's some stuff going on between Contepomi and O'Gara, and there have been some fierce encounters throughout the World Cups (I still remember O'Driscoll shoving his team mates out of the way to yell at the Argentine players after scoring a try in '07), but apart from that I don't know much.

By the way, does anyone have a clip of the fight from before the national anthems? I think it happened in 2008 at Croke Park.

 

[smartcooky]

I can't recall any fight before the anthems, but there was a real ****-fight in the Ireland v Argentina match in the 2009 Churchill Cup

I guess if there is bad blood between the teams, it will take an Argentine or an Irishman to answer your question fully.

 

[lucky number 7]

Sure didn't we have a massive row one time over the Falkands..



Oh no that wasn't us....

 

[welshglory]

Both teams are "street wise", with their antics in the rucks and mauls, and both don't take **** and give plenty of it. Just my take.

 

[big ginger 8]

Ledesma wasn't a big fan of RO'G's either. Don't think there was ever a fight before the anthems. I think it goes back from before Lens but that probably multiplied we've played them in a number of pressure situations. They're very physical side and we're very "cute" I guess. I'm probably being very one-eyed here but I think the worst has been from the Argentines. Apparently in one match they gouged around 7 of our guys. I do think it's mainly on the pitch though and there's no real bad blood between the fans.

 

[psychic duck]

From what I'm aware, there's no particular bad blood between the sides. Just some players like Roncero who like to get involved in dirtier elements of the game every match, not just against Ireland.

Ledesma wasn't a big fan of RO'G's either. Don't think there was ever a fight before the anthems. I think it goes back from before Lens but that probably multiplied we've played them in a number of pressure situations. They're very physical side and we're very "cute" I guess. I'm probably being very one-eyed here but I think the worst has been from the Argentines. Apparently in one match they gouged around 7 of our guys. I do think it's mainly on the pitch though and there's no real bad blood between the fans.

 

[welshglory]

The Argies are notoriously known for being dirty

 

[big ginger 8]

From what I'm aware, there's no particular bad blood between the sides. Just some players like Roncero who like to get involved in dirtier elements of the game every match, not just against Ireland.

Not me saying it rather it's in RO'G's autobiography.

 

[Draggs]

That thread is class.

 

[psychic duck]

Not me saying it rather it's in RO'G's autobiography.

ROG once kicked Roncero in the balls. Which would suggest he was also part of the some dirty play.

The Argies are notoriously known for being dirty

Yes, they had a few forwards who liked to get in a few scraps, such as Roncero, Grau, Ledesma, Mendez and a few others. They were kind of like a mini France at one point. But like France gradually stopped having that dirty kind of player, Argentina too have much less of that kind of player in the current team, Roncero is the really last of that type of player left and he is retiring at the end of the season.

But those players did that dirty stuff against all opposition, not Ireland in particular. Remember this?

That thread is class.

Yes it is.

 

[big ginger 8]

Never said he was innocent of anything both sides doing it suggests bad blood.

 

[Tribesmen-ce-123]

There's not bad blood between the fans, ROG goes into detail about his gripes with the Argentine team in his book though. Ive noticed more bad blood between the Irish and the Welsh tbh, is it just me, or is there serious dislike between the fans and the players? On the pitch Ireland have a huge rivalry with Wales, which is understandable. The dislike between the fans seems to be more one way though, as the Welsh don't seem to have any great liking for their Celtic cousins. This is just me going on some of the stuff ive seen said on the internet though.

 

[Feicarsinn]

The squads have hated each other for a while. We can talk about dirty play, but most of it stems from the 99' and 03' World Cups in which both teams knocked each other out. This carried over into the 07' World Cup and was probably still in evidence in the 2010 game. I imagine that it'll fade as the older members of each squad continue to hang up their boots.


We're replacing it with a healthy hatred of the Welsh, the cheating pricks.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

It's because the Irish know that Contepomi > Sexton & O'Gara, JMFL > Ferris & SOB and Marcelo Bosch > BOD, and that hurts.

 

[luchito]

The squads have hated each other for a while. We can talk about dirty play, but most of it stems from the 99' and 03' World Cups in which both teams knocked each other out. This carried over into the 07' World Cup and was probably still in evidence in the 2010 game. I imagine that it'll fade as the older members of each squad continue to hang up their boots.


We're replacing it with a healthy hatred of the Welsh, the cheating pricks.

I agree. The pumas concentrated their hatred on ROG, Stringer, Leamy, O'Callaghan and mainly Munster players who had bad blood with Contepomi. Most of them are retired. I think there was kind of a bar fight after a test in 2004 between Ledesma and O'Gara because ROG kept reminding the Pumas about RWC2003. In 2007, Contepomi started mocking O'Gara in the last minutes of the match as well. So the hatred goes both ways.

 

[Feicarsinn]

In fairness, ROG is some twat. I'd hate to have to play with the little eejit.

 

[Peat]

There's not bad blood between the fans, ROG goes into detail about his gripes with the Argentine team in his book though. Ive noticed more bad blood between the Irish and the Welsh tbh, is it just me, or is there serious dislike between the fans and the players? On the pitch Ireland have a huge rivalry with Wales, which is understandable. The dislike between the fans seems to be more one way though, as the Welsh don't seem to have any great liking for their Celtic cousins. This is just me going on some of the stuff ive seen said on the internet though.

In fairness, going by online - and with no disrespect to the majority of the Welsh lads here - the average Welsh rugby fan hate everyone. There are some gigantic tossers out there.

 

[Draggs]

In fairness, going by online - and with no disrespect to the majority of the Welsh lads here - the average Welsh rugby fan hate everyone. There are some gigantic tossers out there.

Ever been on Munsterfans?
I love that forum.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Ever been on Munsterfans?
I love that forum.

It is THE BEST read if you're in the mood for a laugh. A few weeks ago they were saying that Earls would have already been established as Ireland's best ever 13 if he had been given a chance. Their modest expectations in their rebuilding period seems to be to win the league and get to a Heineken Cup semi final.

Gas stuff.

 

[Draggs]

It is THE BEST read if you're in the mood for a laugh. A few weeks ago they were saying that Earls would have already been established as Ireland's best ever 13 if he had been given a chance. Their modest expectations in their rebuilding period seems to be to win the league and get to a Heineken Cup semi final.

Gas stuff.

Aye, it is quality.
After the Ospreys Pro12 match the loonies were out if hordes. It makes Green and Gold Rugby look sane.
ScarletFever is another good one, and there are some comments on Draggedup that make me cringe.