Pool D Ireland 15 Argentina 30: All sadly predictable really. A lamentable Irish World Cup campaign, by some distance the worst given the talent and resources available, ended in weary failure.

There was undoubted fury and effort, but once again there was little improvement in the precision of Ireland's rugby. Argentina, more assured and accurate in everything they did, won at a relative canter in the end.

Once again we had the sight of Irish players, even Denis Leamy, being shunted back in contact as the Pumas won virtually ever collision. Kicking plenty, but rarely to touch, they were also wonderful in the air and had masterful play-makers in Agustin Pichot and Juan Hernández, the game's star turn despite playing with a damaged quadricep.

If there were any blemishes to the Pumas' performance they were in a couple of defensive slip-ups by Manuel Contepomi and failure to secure a couple of hanging restarts. In virtually all other aspects, they excelled.

Working off a superb lineout, their maul repeatedly gained yards. Patricio Albacete, the Fernandez Lobbe brothers and Gonzalo Longo were outstanding. As for Ireland's maul, what was once a primary weapon has become virtually impotent.

Redeeming features were few, but the class of Geordan Murphy was one. At times, others were simply not on his wavelength, nor Brian O'Driscoll's.

Even when the game was loose, Argentina's skills, offloading and support play were far better. At times, Ireland seemed unsure what to do. By the end they looked a very badly coached team.

The old citadel of French rugby fairly crackled, and though it was like a home game for Ireland, it was striking how all 22 Argentinian players sang their anthem with gusto. That said, if the Pumas were up for it it so were Ireland, and there was another misleadingly strong and adrenaline-fuelled start.

Denis Hickie, starting on the right wing, was tugged back off the ball and in a belated change of tactic a counter-attacking chip to chase by Ronan O'Gara bounced favourably for David Wallace to keep Ireland on the front foot. So too did a clever play by Leamy, taking a 22-metre drop out by Hernandez with a foot in touch.

In a clearly planned strategy, O'Gara put a couple of testing grubbers out wide. Alas the storm scarcely last seven minutes before a sequence of passes with red crosses on them culminated in Juan Fernandez Lobbe and Martin Scelzo dumping O'Driscoll and Eoin Reddan.

Some relief came by way of Felipe Contepomi missing the ensuing penalty amid some signs he might have been a little too pumped up for his own good.

It didn't last long. Manuel chased his brother's up-and-under for Felipe to kick on, but Denis Hickie's stunning pace prevented the seven-pointer.

Hernandez was now unveiling his repertoire, a lovely kick to the corner forcing Murphy to concede the attacking lineout.

A few close-in rumbles followed and from a blindside move Longo fed Pichot who offloaded for Lucas Borges to score.

Superb hands by Murphy and an offload on the touchline by Shane Horgan briefly revived the spirits and O'Gara tapped over a penalty, but almost immediately Hernández responded with a drop-goal.

A brilliant, quick-witted take and chip by Pichot forced O'Gara to concede another attacking lineout. When Murphy attempted to run out from deep, it was glaringly obvious no Irish player was looking for the offload.

Still, Murphy's deft chip and chase, when shouldered off the ball by Corleto, saw O'Gara kick to the corner. Though Albacete stole the lineout, Leamy retrieved the ball on the deck and O'Gara's flat pass to O'Driscoll enabled the Irish captain to explore a gap between the Contepomis and skate in for the try - giving various Pumas a few blasts before O'Gara slotted the conversion.

That was as good as it got. Excellent ferreting to win turnover ball in a ruck enabled Hernández to restore Argentina's lead with a nonchalant drop-goal.

Hernandez then initiated one of the tries of the tournament with an astonishing leap and catch of his own up-and-under and a flipped under-arm offload to Scelzo. Big rumbles saw Hernandez run hard and straight, Longo moving the ball on for Horacio Agulla to score in the corner. Contepomi's conversion made it 18-10 at the break.

An ominous maul on the resumption by the Pumas' pack and a touchline penalty by Contepomi inched them further ahead before, fleetingly, Irish hopes were revived. Ignacio Corleto sliced a touchfinder inside his own 22, allowing Ireland to again go wide to O'Driscoll in the outside centre channel.

Again the Irish captain stepped outside the flying Manuel Contepomi to offload to David Wallace, and the flanker ran hard and straight before passing superbly left to right across his body for Murphy to effortlessly run it in.

For a while, the match was alive again, but the force in contact and the more alert minds mostly belonged to the Pumas. The tide shifted away from Ireland irretrievably when Murphy was possibly blocked again in chasing his own chip, which led to Pichot's searing, deep kick.

Wallace retrieved the ball but took it into contact and the Pumas again scented a turnover. When Ireland were caught offside, Felipe Contepomi knocked over the penalty.

Unsurprisingly, Marcelo Loffreda had been quicker to use his bench, and Eddie O'Sullivan's replacements - belated sticking tape really - contained the curious removal of Wallace rather than Simon Easterby with Ireland playing brave but tired, limited and unskilled catch-up.

Fittingly the scoring ended with Argentinian subs Rimas Alvarez-Kareilis and Martin Durand pilfering more turnover ball at a ruck for Hernández to step on to his, eh, weaker left foot and land another drop-goal.

ARGENTINA: I Corleto (Stade Français); L Borges (Stade Français), M Contepomi (Newman), F Contepomi (Leinster), H Agulla (Hindú); J Hernández (Stade Français), A Pichot (Stade Français, capt); R Roncero (Stade Français), M Ledesma (Clermont Auvergne), J Scelzo (Clermont); I Fernandez Lobbe (Sale), P Albacete (Toulouse); L Ostiglia (Agen), J Fernandez Lobbe (Sale), G Longo (Clermont Auvergne). Replacements: R Alvarez-Kareilis ( Perpignan) for I Fernandez Lobbe (55 mins), M Durand (Champagnat) for Ostiglia (62 mins), H Senillosa (Hindú) for M Contepomi (71 mins), O Hasan ( Toulouse) for Scelzo (77 mins), A Basualdo (Alumni) for Ledesma (79 mins) Not used: N Fernandez Miranda (Hindú), F Todeschini (Montpellier).

IRELAND: G Murphy (Leicester); S Horgan (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), D Hickie (Leinster); R O'Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Wasps); M Horan (Munster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster); D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster); S Easterby (Llanelli), D Wallace (Munster), D Leamy (Munster). Replacements: N Best (Ulster) for Wallace (25-28 and 65 mins), R Best (Ulster) for Flannery, M O'Kelly (Leinster) for O'Callaghan (both 65 mins), I Boss (Ulster) for Reddan (66 mins), G Duffy (Connacht) for Hickie (71 mins). Not used: B Young (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster).

Referee: Paul Honiss(New Zealand).