# 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.
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.

## Touring party

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

## Match details

* 9 August
| Chile | 0–30 | Ireland |
* Santiago
* 12 August
| Capital | 6–12 | Ireland |
* Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires
* 15 August
| Club Pucará | 11–6 | Ireland |
* Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires
* 17 August
| Provincia | 6–6 | Ireland |
* Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires
* 21 August
| Argentina A | 3–19 | Ireland |
* Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

### 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 |
* 28 August
| Argentina B | 3–25 | Ireland |
* Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires

### 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 |
* 3 September 1952
| Universitario B.A. | 11–19 | Ireland |
* Gimnasia y Esgrima, Buenos Aires