Sunday's Pool D showdown between Ireland and Argentina was unusual in so far as the Irish post-mortem had already started before a ball was kicked. All three major body cavities in the corpse that is now the Ireland set-up have been well and truly opened up and scrutinised in the last week, (those three being the cavities with the brains, the heart and the guts).

The heart was in good shape but that’s where the positives end. The tale of two No.10s summed up this night. One man in green (Ronan O'Gara) slowly fell on his sword in an inneffectual display while the one in blue and white (Jean Martin Hernandez) gave the most consummate, outstanding, immaculate (sorry but it transcended words) diva-like performance in out-half play since Dan Carter took the field against the Lions in the Cake Tin at Wellington during  the 2005 Lions tour.

Dan, you now have an equal - and arguably the stakes were higher in Sunday’s game. I hope that you two meet soon. Regardless of affiliation, all in the rugby family will surely applaud the masterpiece that was Hernandez’s play. Ask now what has our rugby family done for this man’s nursery? If it were not yet clear it surely is now; the future growth areas of rugby are in the near-East and Latin zones and if we are serious we had better put aside rivalries and get them involved in something bigger than the Nations Cup and occasional tour matches.

'By my reckoning two Irishmen would be worthy of a place in the Argentinian side - O’Connell and O’Driscoll. The rest, as they say, are history'

If Argentina were not merely protecting their lead for so much of the game, we might have seen them play to their potential, but this is a pragmatic side and they played it safe tonight. They will challenge all-comers in good time. Bar one or two exceptions, they scored from all their opportunities.

That quintessentially Irish skill of avoiding accountability is about to go on full display in the upcoming extensive and very public post-mortem that has some way to run yet. Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan was handed a four-year contract extension before this tournament. Watch now while the suits run for cover. It happens all over the world but no-one makes quite such a fine art of it as the innocent-faced Paddies.

Accountability hurts and the casualties can only mount. After Sunday's match, if I were not so indignant I’d actually feel deflated. Argentina won the contact area with alarming ease and controlled the aerial ball so completely that it makes one wonder where the game of GAA is played - and does it really do us any good having players that have played both codes?