For the first hour of Saturday's mauling of the Pumas, Ireland looked unstoppable against one of the world's top teams.

Vibrant, direct and committed, Declan Kidney's injury hit side ran in seven tries in a 46 - 24 rout to secure a place in the IRB Top Eight.

And the coach and players will be hoping that it was not a one-off but something to build on ahead of the 2013 Six Nations.

Craig Gilroy 

Kidney made a brave call by dropping Andrew Trimble for youngster Craig Gilroy on the wing. 

And on yesterday's evidence the Ulster player looks a shoe-in for a long-term stint on the flanks.

Blessed with lightning pace and excellent footwork, the 21-year-old followed his hat-trick of tries against Fiji with the opening five points against Argentina which eased the tension and set Ireland on their way.

He was also heavily involved in the build-up for three of Ireland's other tries.

The inclusion of Gilroy also suited the rugby Ireland played - with the backs dominating the game and providing the spark.

Momentum alive

Tommy Bowe, Simon Zebo and Keith Earls broke through the Argentine line time again, finding pockets of space, offloading well under pressure to keep the attacking momentum alive.

However when the likes of Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell, Rob Kearney and the other injured regulars return, Kidney is likely to bring them back into his starting XV.

But he needs to seriously consider the emerging talent like Gilroy and Zebo that made their mark against the Pumas.

Fresh ideas and the positivity on show against Argentina can only be an advantage for Ireland going forward.

Image by ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan