1952 Ireland rugby union tour of South America

The 1952 Ireland rugby union tour of South America, was a series of rugby matches played in Chile and Argentina. This tour by the Ireland national rugby union team coincided with the death of Eva Peron, the wife of Juan Peron, the President of Argentina. As a result, it was almost cancelled. Eva Peron died on 26 July, six days after the Irish squad had departed Dublin. However, after playing their first game in Santiago, Chile, the team travelled onto Buenos Aires and completed the tour as planned.^[1]

1952 Ireland rugby union tour of South America
Summary	P W D L
Total	09 06 02 01
Test match	02 01 01 00
Opponent	P W D L
Argentina	2 1 1 0
Tour chronology
Previous tour	Canada 1899
Next tour	South Africa 1961

They finished with a record of played 9, won 6, drew 2 and 1 defeat. The tour also featured the first full rugby internationals between Ireland and Argentina.^[2][3]

Touring party

• Manager: G.P.S. Hogan
• Secretary: R.W. Jeffares, Jr
• Referee: O.B. Glasgow
• Captain: Des O'Brien

Backs M. Birthistle (Old Belvedere) Richard Chambers (Instonians) Robin Gregg (Queen's University) John Hewitt (Instonians) Mick Hillary (University College Dublin) J.T. Horgan (University College Cork) Mick Lane (University College Cork) Jack Notley (Wanderers) John O'Meara (University College Cork)

Forwards Fuzzy Anderson (Queen's University) D. Crowley (Cork Constitution) Michael Dargan (Old Belvedere) Ronnie Kavanagh (University College Dublin) Patrick Kavanagh (University College Dublin) Des O'Brien (Cardiff) Archie O'Leary (Cork Constitution) William O'Neill (University College Dublin) Paddy Lawlor (Clontarf) Jim McCarthy (Dolphin) John Smith (Collegians) Paul Traynor (Clontarf)

W.J. Hewitt and Miguel Angel Sarandón posing together in Argentina

Match details

9 August

Chile	0–30	Ireland

Santiago

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12 August

Capital	6–12	Ireland

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

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15 August

Club Pucará	11–6	Ireland

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

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17 August

Provincia	6–6	Ireland

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

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21 August

Argentina A	3–19	Ireland

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

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First test

24 August

Argentina	3–3	Ireland
Try: Fernandez del Casal		Try: O'Meara

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires Referee: Ossie Glassgow (Ireland)

Team details

Argentina Ireland Julio Genoud FB 15 FB Robin Gregg Edmundo Caffarone W 14 W Mick Lane Enrique Fernández del Casal C 13 C Richard Chambers Alfredo Palma C 12 C John Notley Julián Santiago W 11 W Michael Hillary Ricardo Giles FH 10 FH William Hewitt Guillermo Ehrman SH 9 SH John O'Meara Miguel Sarandon N8 8 N8 Jim McCarthy Alberto Conen F 7 F Patrick Kavanagh Rodolfo Grosse F 6 F Michael Dargan Lucas Glastra L 5 L Patrick Lawlor Emilio Domínguez L 4 L P.P. Traynor Normando Tompkins P 3 P W.J. O'Neill Carlos Swain H 2 H Fuzzy Anderson Ricardo Follett P 1 P John Smith Coaches GPS Hogan

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28 August

Argentina B	3–25	Ireland

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

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Second test

31 August

Argentina	0–6	Ireland
		Pen: Dargan, Hillary

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

Team details

Argentina Ireland Enrique Fernández del Casal FB 15 FB Robin Gregg Edmundo Caffarone W 14 W Patrick Kavanagh Gastón Recagno C 13 C Richard Chambers Alfredo Palma C 12 C John Notley Antonio Salinas W 11 W Michael Hillary Ricardo Giles FH 10 FH William Hewitt Guillermo Ehrman SH 9 SH John O'Meara Ezequiel Holmberg N8 8 N8 Jim McCarthy Rodolfo Grosse F 7 F Des O'Brien (c) Alberto Conen F 6 F Michael Dargan Luis Maurette L 5 L P.P. Traynor Emilio Domínguez L 4 L James Kavanagh Normando Tompkins P 3 P W.J. O'Neill Carlos Swain H 2 H Fuzzy Anderson Ricardo Follett P 1 P John Smith Coaches GPS Horgan

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3 September 1952

Universitario B.A.	11–19	Ireland

Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires