Other than how poor Fiji are in defence, it’s hard to tell what exactly was learned in the 53-0 hammering at Thomond Park last weekend. His hat-trick of tries reaffirmed Craig Gilroy’s status as a supreme finisher, but that is not news to anyone who has been watching the young winger play for Ulster where he has been top try scorer for the past two seasons.

If anything, the fact that tomorrow’s game represents his first full Irish cap serves only to underline the Irish management’s reluctance to blood young players at the top level.

Considering their flawless start to the season it was inevitable that Ulster were going to feature heavily in the experimental XV to take on Fiji. But while prospects such as Gilroy, Paddy Jackson and Luke Marshall were given an opportunity to impress, scrum-half Paul Marshall had to settle for an 18-minute cameo appearance.

Marshall is a candidate for Ulster’s player of the season so far, along with Ruan Pienaar and Nick Williams. The selection of Murray against South Africa was almost inevitable given Kidney’s track record, but denying the form number 9 in the country a chance to start in what was a nothing game last weekend proved that Kidney refuses to look beyond Murray and Reddan at scrum-half.

More ponderous still was the decision to start Denis Hurley at fullback. At best the Munster man is Ireland’s fifth choice fullback behind Rob Kearney, Felix Jones, Gavin Duffy and Simon Zebo, cases could also to be made for the Ians, Keatley and Madigan.

The fact that Kidney would choose an inexperienced 22-year-old winger in Simon Zebo at 15 for a crunch match over Hurley, who is a fullback by trade, is in itself a vote of no-confidence in the St. Munchin’s graduate.

Zebo coped ably with the switch to fullback against the Springboks but his bursts into the line were somewhat telegraphed and caused little trouble for the South African tacklers. More importantly, the ‘Boks failed to really test his confidence in the position, mainly due to Pat Lambie’s uninspiring stewardship at pivot. Surely another run out against Fiji would have stood the Cork Con flyer in good stead heading into today’s crucial Test.

Since the 2007 World Cup the Pumas have displayed a penchant for in-field kicking to test the back three. With Racing Metro star Juan Martin Hernandez back in the team and two of Ireland’s back three in relatively uncharted territory, Zebo and Gilroy should expect to have their aerial capabilities and defensive positioning tested.

Mike Ross’s inclusion in last weekend’s XV was a not-so-subtle indication that Kidney and Greg Feek want more from the Leinster tighthead. Ross has been one of Ireland’s key players since the departure of John Hayes but the recent acquisition of Michael Bent means the Cork man now faces some competition.

In recent years there have been few nations better equipped to test a side’s scrum than the Pumas. The loss of world class scrummagers Rodrigo Roncero and Mario Ledesma hasn’t had an overly detrimental effect thanks to Argentina’s ability to churn out top rate front rows.

Ross will take on Leicester Tigers’ man Marcos Ayerza, who will pack down alongside hooker Eusebio Guinazu. But they won’t be joined by first choice tighthead Juan Figallo who was cited for striking an opponent during last weekend’s defeat to France, meaning Montpellier’s Maximiliano Bustos will wear number 3.

IRB World Ranking points aside, both teams enter today’s encounter fuelled by a more primitive motivation, rivalry. The Irish players do not like the Pumas. Donncha O’Callaghan, Ronan O’Gara, Jamie Heaslip and Jonathan Sexton are just some of the players who have remarked on the Argentinians style of play. The Pumas are renowned for their intense physicality and for taking things to the edge of the laws.

But this Pumas team offers more than a big bruising pack. Their performances against France and Wales proved that this is a team comfortable putting the ball though the hands out wide, and in Gonzalo Camacho and Juan Imhoff they possess top class finishers on the wings.

Ireland’s inexperienced wing-forwards Peter O’Mahony and Chris Henry will have to go toe-to-toe with Argentinean legends Juan Manuel Leguizamon and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe who was simply unplayable against the Welsh. It will be a big test for Ireland at the breakdown but the Pumas proved in the Millennium Stadium that if opponents over-commit to rucks they have the speed of hand to do damage out wide.

This Irish team dominated the Springboks for 40 minutes, if they can maintain that intensity for a full 80 with an improved lineout and some incision from what, on paper, looks a threatening backline they should deny the Pumas a first win in Dublin.

Anything less and the Pumas will round off their longest ever season on a high note.

Prediction: Ireland 25 Argentina 20