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BORDEAUX - Ireland's defence coach Graham Steadman said on Friday his team needs to cut out the ill-discipline that cost them against France if they are to have any chance of beating Argentina on Sunday.
Ireland need not only to beat Argentina but score at least four tries and deny the Pumas a bonus point if they are to avoid an early exit from the World Cup.
"To give France seven shots at goal, five of which they took, we gifted them 15 points which was a huge concern," said Steadman of the 25-3 loss last week.
"We've got to be disciplined and technically smarter than we were against France. Argentina are very methodical, they have a strong maul if you allow them to get the ascendancy.
"They're very patient, very controlled and we certainly have got to be disciplined off the back of that.
"If we allow them to get some momentum, they've got (Juan-Martin) Hernandez who's playing some quality rugby, (Felipe) Contepomi at 12-slot (inside centre) who's going to be a big threat and looking to get one over the players who he plays with at Leinster.
"We're certainly going to be asked a lot of questions. Our front line defence has been great, what we've got to smarten up on is discipline and transition from attacking to defence. That's the only time we've looked anything like vulnerable," added the Englishman.
Ireland have come in for heavy criticism during the tournament after laboured victories against Namibia (32-17) and Georgia (14-10) before their defeat to France.
But Steadman - a former Great Britain rugby league international and assistant coach of the team from 2001-04 - feels their defence has still been solid.
"When you've got a team of the creativity of France having to kick to try to break us down that shows we're certainly heading in the right direction," he said.
"There's going to be different questions posed against Argentina on Sunday but I'm quite confident that the guys will certainly be up to it.
"There's a lot of pressure but that comes with the territory that we're in. So bring it on."
Assistant coach Niall O'Donovan said it is not all doom and gloom for Ireland, who he still feels have an outside chance of making the quarter-finals.
"We don't become a bad team overnight, we've proved ourselves over the last couple of years that we've quality players and we're a quality team," he insisted.
"I think we just need to get that out of ourselves and stop playing within ourselves. There is a big one (performance) in this team.
"I'm impressed with the way the lads have rolled up their sleeves and worked. They owe themselves one more than anybody else, they owe themselves to go out and play to their ability. If they do that then anything can happen.
"We're talking about four tries but I'd just like to see them go out and get a win, go out and play well and if they do that, then they're capable of anything after that."
- AFP
