Ireland’s disappointing World Cup ended with them failing to get out of the pool stages for the first time.

Eddie O’Sullivan’s men needed to score four tries and beat Argentina by eight points to get through but they fell to a 15-point defeat at Parc des Princes.

Lucas Borges and Horacio Agulla scored tries for the Pumas in the first half.

Brian O’Driscoll got over for an Irish touchdown with Geordan Murphy briefly raising Irish hopes with a try early in the second half.

Argentina now play Scotland for a place in the semi-finals.

As for Ireland, the inquests will begin about where they went so badly wrong.

Disappointingly unconvincing wins over Namibia and Georgia and defeat by France left them with a mountain to climb against Argentina in the final Pool D match.

However, it started promisingly as Ireland had lots of ball in the opening 10 minutes.

But they failed to make their pressure count and it was Argentina who made the breakthrough.

After a solid scrum, the ball was worked to winger Borges who ran over with the Irish defence in a muddle.

Ronan O’Gara then kicked a penalty but Argentina replied instantly with a drop-goal from Juan Martin Hernandez.

Irish hopes were momentarily lifted eight minutes from the break when skipper O’Driscoll smashed through tame tackling for a try and O’Gara’s conversion edged them into a two-point lead.

That advantage was shortlived as Hernandez produced a second drop-goal four minutes later.

Argentina punished slack Irish defending in the 38th minute with Agulla getting over for their second try and Felipe Contepomi converted, making it 18-10 to the Pumas at half-time.

It looked all over for Eddie O’Sullivan’s men but hope flickered again when full-back Murphy scored a 47th-minute try after the ball was swung out to the right flank from a line-out.

That left Ireland 21-15 in arrears but knowing two converted tries would be enough to get them through to the quarter-finals.

However, two Contepomi penalties and a third Hernandez drop-goal sealed Argentina’s victory to leave Ireland packing their bags for an early flight home.

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Argentina: Corleto, Borges, M. Contepomi, F. Contepomi, Agulla, Martin Hernandez, Pichot, Roncero, Ledesma, Scelzo, C. Fernandez Lobbe, Albacete, Ostiglia, J. Fernandez Lobbe, Longo Elia.
Replacements: Basualdo, Hasan, Kairelis, Durand, Fernandez Miranda, Todeschini, Senillosa.

Ireland: Murphy, Horgan, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Hickie, O’Gara, Reddan, Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, Easterby, D. Wallace, Leamy.
Replacements: R. Best, Young, O’Kelly, N. Best, Boss, P. Wallace, Duffy.

Referee: P Honiss (New Zealand)

Injured full-back Girvan Dempsey is out of Ireland’s crunch game with Argentina on Sunday with Geordan Murphy called-up for his first World Cup start.

Coach Eddie O’Sullivan has not panicked into making a raft of changes although he brings in Denis Hickie for Andrew Trimble on the left wing.

O’Sullivan has not tinkered with the pack but there is a worry over the injury to Jerry Flannery’s shoulder.

Rory Best, however, could be forced into a quicker than expected return.

Best fractured his thumb against Georgia and was expected to be ruled out of the remaining Pool D games.

However, the Ulster hooker could be called upon if Flannery’s injury does not fully recover.

Skipper Brian O’Drsicoll, who has recovered from knee bruising, says that Ireland have still everything to play for.

“It’s important that Irish supporters realise that our poor results are not down to a lack of effort,” said O’Driscoll.

“We had a meeting on Monday and spoke about how important it was for us and everyone who supports Irish rugby.

“We can’t simply bow our heads because things haven’t gone right to date. We still have an opportunity to qualify for the play-offs and that’s got to be our sole focus.”
Dempsey received his injury during the defeat by France last Friday, and was ruled out on Monday evening.

It gives the unlucky Murphy a chance to show his potency on the world stage.

His only other appearance during this World Cup was a 30-second cameo in Ireland’s Lethargic win over Namibia.

He was controversially dropped from the 22-man squad for the French game with Gavin Duffy brought onto the bench. Duffy now makes way for Trimble who can cover centre and wing.

This could well be Hickie’s final international game as he is due to retire following the World Cup.

Ireland need to score four or more tries against Argentina and defeat them by more than seven points to go through to the quarter-final stage.

Argentina have so far not had their line crossed during the present campaign and officially have the most miserly defence in the tournament.

Ireland: Murphy; Horgan, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Hickie; O’Gara, Reddan; Horan, A N Other, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, Easterby, D. Wallace, Leamy.
Replacements: A N Other, S Best, O’Kelly, N Best, Boss, P Wallace, A Trimble.

The boot of Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and two tries from Vincent Clerc gave hosts France the win they needed to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Elissalde kicked five penalties before Clerc, the man who broke Irish hearts in the Six Nations, grabbed his brace.

Ronan O’Gara got Ireland’s only score with a drop-goal in the first half.

Ireland will now probably have to score four tries and beat Argentina by more than seven points in their final match to reach the quarter-finals.

Given their form in the tournament so far, the odds are on Eddie O’Sullivan’s men boarding an early flight home.

That would be a huge disappointment for Ireland, who had envisaged a quarter-final place at least before the tournament but have failed to rediscover the Six Nations form which raised expectations.

They won their opening two matches in France but were well below par and their failure to secure a bonus point for scoring four or more tries in the victory against Georgia could yet prove costly.

Argentina are all but guaranteed to pick a bonus-point win over Namibia on Sunday, which means they would have 14 points to Ireland’s nine heading into the final pool match on Sunday, 30 September.

France got the opening score at the Stade de France through a seventh-minute Elissalde penalty, given against the Irish for not retreating the full 10 metres following a previous infringement.

Ireland had an opportunity to restore parity but O’Gara was off-target with a three-pointer of his own four minutes later.

In the 18th minute, Clement Poitrenaud was denied by Shane Horgan’s try-saving tackle which required the video official’s verdict.

Ireland were adjudged offside in that move, though, and Elissalde knocked over a simple penalty.

Elissalde landed another penalty in the 22nd minute, awarded for Irish hands in the ruck.

Ireland were relying heavily on O’Gara’s up-and-unders to advance downfield, although O’Sullivan’s men did look considerably more fired up than for their matches against Namibia and Georgia.

France number 10 Michalak missed a penalty from halfway in the 36th minute, and moments later O’Gara was successful with a 25-metre drop-goal to reduce the arrears to 9-3.

The last act of the half saw Elissalde boot his fourth penalty of the night to make it 12-3 to the hosts.

Ireland made an encouraging start to the second half but slipped further behind in the 55th minute when Elissalde maintained his 100% record to make it 15-3.

The first try came two minutes later as Michalak put through a kick with the outside of his right boot to the right corner and it fell perfectly for Clerc.

Worse was to follow for the Irish. With Paul O’Connell in the bin, Clerc collected Elissalde’s chip and forced his way over for a second score in the corner, the television match official confirming the score.

Ireland were on the receiving end of a battering by now and they were forced to fight hard simply to restrict France’s winning margin.

Wasps scrum-half Eoin Reddan has earned a shock call-up as one of three changes for Ireland’s World Cup must-win Pool D game against France on Friday night. Heineken Cup winner Reddan replaces the dropped Peter Stringer while Isaac Boss is again named on the bench.

Andrew Trimble returns in place of Denis Hickie on the left wing.

Jerry Flannery replaces injured hooker Rory Best but Neil Best has to be content with a place on the bench while Geordan Murphy is left out of the 22.

There is still no starting place for the physicality of Neil Best, while Murphy has been surprisingly ushered from the bench altogether, with Gavin Duffy named as utility back.

The promotion of Reddan comes out of the blue and ends Stringer’s long association with his Munster colleague Ronan O’Gara at half-back.

Stringer, with 79 caps, is Ireland’s second most-capped player behind Malcolm O’Kelly, who is again named on the bench.

Reddan was the third choice coming into the World Cup – behind Stringer and Boss, who twice had limited time as a replacement in the games against Namibia and Georgia.

This will be the Limerick-born Reddan’s fourth cap after making his debut as a replacement in the 2006 Six Nations game against France.

He made his first start during the summer tour to Argentina, where Ireland lost both Tests with a virtual reserve-strength side.

Reddan was with Munster twice and in between had a season with Connacht before being lured to London in 2005 by Warren Gatland, the former Ireland coach, who was then in charge of Wasps.

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Ireland: Dempsey; Horgan, O’Driscoll, capt, D’Arcy, Trimble; O’Gara, Reddan; Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, Easterby, D Wallace, Leamy.
Replacements: Sheahan, S Best, O’Kelly, N Best, Boss, P Wallace, Duffy.

Below-par Ireland had to fight all the way to get a narrow victory over a determined Georgia in Bordeaux.The anxious Irish had to withstand late pressure as they clung on for the win and there must be doubts over their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.

Ireland did get a decent start with Ulster hooker Rory Best scoring a try but Georgia led early in the second half after a try by Giorgi Shkinin.

Girvan Dempsey got over to restore the Irish lead in the 55th minute.

Ireland may well be relieved to have scraped through but their lack of form is bound to be a huge worry for coach Eddie O’Sullivan.

Now they have to focus on upping their performance as they next face hosts France who have to win.

Things had been going to plan for Ireland when they got the first try of the match on 16 minutes after the pack took a line-out catch and drove through the heart of the Georgian forwards.

Ulster hooker Best got over and Ronan O’Gara landed a tough conversion.

Late in the first half a powerful charge from Shkinin swept Georgia out of their own half and when openside David Wallace had been sin-binned for killing the ball, Merab Kvirikashvili stepped up to slot the three points.

Georgia stunned the Stade Chaban-Delmas by taking the lead five minutes into the second half.

A wayward looping pass from Peter Stringer to Brian O’Driscoll was intercepted by Shkinin and the Blois winger galloped home under the posts with Kvirikashvili landing the conversion.

Ireland’s anxiety was eased when they ran in their second try in the 55th minute.

Gordon D’Arcy did the initial damage with a strong run through midfield before the ball was recycled to Dempsey on the left and he evaded Samkharadze’s tackle to get over.

Georgia finished strongly, keeping possession and pounding away in the opposition half.

The stadium was on tenterhooks when Denis Leamy denied Georgia late on, with referee Wayne Barnes seeking confirmation from the video referee that the ball had been held up.

Georgia had thrown everything at Ireland and spent the dying moments charging forward, but could not produce the winning score.