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By Brendan O & # 39; Brien
Preparations for Saturday's meeting with Argentina were difficult, but Garry Ringrose is not tempted to seek excuses before Ireland's clash with the South Americans.
The team of Joe Schmidt, made up of 42 people, was split in two last week, between those who traveled to Chicago to face Italy and those who stayed at home for some time. train at Kildare headquarters. system.
The group of travelers returned from the American Midwest yesterday morning in two groups. Ringrose was on his previous flight and arrived in Dublin at 7 am after a trip with a large swirling area and a few pockets of restless sleep. The transatlantic crew took a few more hours before the Leinster center came to the media, followed by an afternoon and early evening of review and preview sessions, meetings and recovery protocols ".
It will be today before the American Brigade returns to the training park.
"It's a challenge," Ringrose said of the fractured workout. "It motivates everyone a little bit more. It would be easy to start making excuses. Everyone knows that they will have to move to another level. It is simply a matter of storing the details as soon as possible.
Added to this is the fact that Argentina should be in better shape than last time, as most teams lost to Ireland 28 to 19 12 months ago were playing their last game in a grueling season. 12 months. for Jaguars and Pumas.
The team that faces this weekend has shown signs of significant improvement with new coach Mario Ledesma at the Rugby Championship and has been preparing for the camp for weeks before what will be their opening bid in this November window.
They will be fresh, motivated and capable.
"Individually, they are very strong," Ringrose said. "Certainly on the other side of the back line, there are guys who can beat you one to one every day of the week. So it will be a huge challenge, individual and defensive fights, because they are very good in attack.
"Their shape improves from year to year. You can see that they reach the edge more effectively and that they are good enough to win the winning line. And if you do not compare them in advance, the day can be long, as they have shown in the coming matches. "
Ringrose did not participate in the win against Argentina last November, but he has heard enough about the offensive threat presented by their back line that day and the one that has been the subject of many shows all over the world. along with the recent rugby championship.
It remains to be seen what role, if any, Ringrose will play against them this time after his 80 minutes of play in Chicago. His presence on the previous return flight could be considered a sign of departure, but where does that leave him for the New Zealand match next week?
Three trotting parties, it is feasible but is it desirable?
Schmidt has to pick two players from a trio consisting of Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki, knowing that Argentina and the world champions will put a hard test on an Irish defense that has proved likely to Be tested by the flanks.
In this sense, there are few more important players than the man wearing the 13th.
By mutual agreement, this is the toughest defense post on the ground. Ringrose has a good balance to hit in such exposed environments and he has had difficult times for the club and the country when he pulled out of the line and found himself bypbaded as a result.
It is a risk of his job.
"So, it's a collective thing. He never rests on one person in a defensive way. That plays an important role, and it will play against Argentina with the game they play, but everyone will know that we have to be up to the game to be successful this weekend.
"As for my own game, I do not know it. I was even beaten a couple of times on the shoulder the last day and I probably had the opportunity to tackle more aggressive tackles that I have not fully exploited.
"So it will be something for me, if I get the shot this week, that I will try to improve."
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