Craig Gilroy has confessed that he was so nervous ahead of his debut for Ireland that he thought about driving home instead of playing.

The 21-year-old scored Ireland's opening try against Argentina yesterday, and helped create three more.

The Ulster winger told Sky Sports News: "This was my first cap and then there was the rankings issue on top of that, so it was a huge game for Ireland.

"I was extremely nervous to the point where I thought about jumping in my car and driving back to Belfast! I was more nervous than I'd ever been.

"But I'd received loads of messages from family and friends and they said don't put any more pressure on yourself, just be yourself and enjoy it. That's what I did and it was those messages from friends and family that settled the nerves."

The win secured Ireland's spot inside the world's top eight, meaning they will face only one other top-ranked nation in the group stages of the 2015 World Cup.