ARGENTINA HAVE BEATEN the Springboks in South Africa. They’ve won against the All Blacks in New Zealand. They’ve tasted victory over the Wallabies in Australia several times.
Los Pumas have had success against Les Bleus in France. They’ve beaten the English in England. Scotland and Wales on Scottish and Welsh soil? Yep, they’ve ticked those off a few times.
But Ireland in Ireland? There’s an itch that Argentina haven’t been able to scratch yet.
They’ve caused Irish rugby deep pain on neutral ground at the 1999, 2007 and 2015 World Cups, of course. That counts for far more than a streak of November Test losses in Dublin. Ireland would swap all 11 of their home wins against Los Pumas for just one of those World Cup wins.
But for Felipe Contepomi’s team, that glaring lack of a win against Ireland in Dublin is major motivation ahead of Friday night’s Nations Championship clash at the Aviva Stadium.
Contepomi’s men have actually won in Ireland very recently, playing brilliantly against Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions in the summer of 2025 before they headed away to Australia on tour. That was a stirring victory at a sold-out Aviva Stadium and underlined the Argentinians’ ability to produce brilliant one-off performances.
The Pumas struggle to win consistently, although it’s worth highlighting that their regular annual competition sees them playing against the Springboks, All Blacks and Wallabies. Most other nations would struggle in that company.
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Having been welcomed into what was previously the Tri-Nations in 2012, Argentina have earned their keep. 14 wins in 69 games so far might not scream that out, but it’s tough going in the Rugby Championship.
The cliché that Argentina can beat anyone on their day is true, and Ireland are well aware of the threat posed by a team that will be out to make some history on Friday.
Ireland celebrate their win against Argentina in 2024. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Los Pumas came very close in 2024 when they fell 12-0 behind inside the opening six minutes after Irish tries from Jack Crowley and Mack Hansen. A Joe McCarthy score then sent Ireland into a 22-9 lead they held for half time.
An excellent second-half performance from the Pumas featured a sensational Juan Cruz Mallía try from 45 metres out and brought them back to 22-19.
With the clock two minutes into the red, Argentina were camped five metres from the Irish tryline, but they knocked on under the pressure of a McCarthy and Cian Healy counter-ruck. Farrell and co. breathed a huge sigh of relief.
That game was a 51,700 sell-out at the Aviva, but it might not be such this time around, with the IRFU saying that 48,848 tickets had been sold by Tuesday afternoon.
Three years before, in 2021, it was a different story as Ireland hammered Argentina 53-7, with all seven of their tries scored by forwards. While Farrell’s men are favourites for this Friday, such a huge blowout is not expected.
The teamsheets are set to be fairly similar to the match in Dublin two years ago, although Ireland are now shorn of Caelan Doris, Crowley, James Lowe and Garry Ringrose, as well as replacements Healy and Peter O’Mahony.
There will be no Thomas Gallo or Santiago Carreras in the Pumas’ match day 23 this time around, yet it’s likely to be a familiar and settled-looking selection from Contepomi.
While the standalone achievement of a first-ever Test win against Ireland in Dublin is motivation enough for Argentina, they’re in the same Nations Championship boat as Ireland in that they sit fourth in the Southern Hemisphere table, albeit having won only one of their three games against Scotland, Wales and England in July. There’s ground to be made up.
New defence coach Shaun Edwards at UCD on Tuesday. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
And like Farrell’s Ireland, this is the start of Argentina’s World Cup year, with the 2027 tournament hovering in the background of every decision and every result.
Contepomi’s men will be favourites to top Pool C, which also includes Fiji, Spain and Canada.
If they then win a Round of 16 tie against one of the third-placed teams from the pool stages, the Argentinians could meet Ireland in a World Cup quarter-final in Brisbane on 31 October 2027.
It seems unlikely that either Farrell or Contepomi’s sides will change all that much with less than a year until then, but there’s no knowing where they will be with their form and confidence.
There’s plenty of context for Friday night’s clash at the Aviva Stadium, but the Pumas are coming with the primary mission of another historic win on Irish soil.
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Argentina have never beaten Ireland on Irish soil. They want to put that right
ARGENTINA HAVE BEATEN the Springboks in South Africa. They’ve won against the All Blacks in New Zealand. They’ve tasted victory over the Wallabies in Australia several times.
Los Pumas have had success against Les Bleus in France. They’ve beaten the English in England. Scotland and Wales on Scottish and Welsh soil? Yep, they’ve ticked those off a few times.
But Ireland in Ireland? There’s an itch that Argentina haven’t been able to scratch yet.
They’ve caused Irish rugby deep pain on neutral ground at the 1999, 2007 and 2015 World Cups, of course. That counts for far more than a streak of November Test losses in Dublin. Ireland would swap all 11 of their home wins against Los Pumas for just one of those World Cup wins.
But for Felipe Contepomi’s team, that glaring lack of a win against Ireland in Dublin is major motivation ahead of Friday night’s Nations Championship clash at the Aviva Stadium.
Contepomi’s men have actually won in Ireland very recently, playing brilliantly against Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions in the summer of 2025 before they headed away to Australia on tour. That was a stirring victory at a sold-out Aviva Stadium and underlined the Argentinians’ ability to produce brilliant one-off performances.
The Pumas struggle to win consistently, although it’s worth highlighting that their regular annual competition sees them playing against the Springboks, All Blacks and Wallabies. Most other nations would struggle in that company.
Having been welcomed into what was previously the Tri-Nations in 2012, Argentina have earned their keep. 14 wins in 69 games so far might not scream that out, but it’s tough going in the Rugby Championship.
The cliché that Argentina can beat anyone on their day is true, and Ireland are well aware of the threat posed by a team that will be out to make some history on Friday.
Los Pumas came very close in 2024 when they fell 12-0 behind inside the opening six minutes after Irish tries from Jack Crowley and Mack Hansen. A Joe McCarthy score then sent Ireland into a 22-9 lead they held for half time.
An excellent second-half performance from the Pumas featured a sensational Juan Cruz Mallía try from 45 metres out and brought them back to 22-19.
With the clock two minutes into the red, Argentina were camped five metres from the Irish tryline, but they knocked on under the pressure of a McCarthy and Cian Healy counter-ruck. Farrell and co. breathed a huge sigh of relief.
That game was a 51,700 sell-out at the Aviva, but it might not be such this time around, with the IRFU saying that 48,848 tickets had been sold by Tuesday afternoon.
Three years before, in 2021, it was a different story as Ireland hammered Argentina 53-7, with all seven of their tries scored by forwards. While Farrell’s men are favourites for this Friday, such a huge blowout is not expected.
The teamsheets are set to be fairly similar to the match in Dublin two years ago, although Ireland are now shorn of Caelan Doris, Crowley, James Lowe and Garry Ringrose, as well as replacements Healy and Peter O’Mahony.
There will be no Thomas Gallo or Santiago Carreras in the Pumas’ match day 23 this time around, yet it’s likely to be a familiar and settled-looking selection from Contepomi.
While the standalone achievement of a first-ever Test win against Ireland in Dublin is motivation enough for Argentina, they’re in the same Nations Championship boat as Ireland in that they sit fourth in the Southern Hemisphere table, albeit having won only one of their three games against Scotland, Wales and England in July. There’s ground to be made up.
And like Farrell’s Ireland, this is the start of Argentina’s World Cup year, with the 2027 tournament hovering in the background of every decision and every result.
Contepomi’s men will be favourites to top Pool C, which also includes Fiji, Spain and Canada.
If they then win a Round of 16 tie against one of the third-placed teams from the pool stages, the Argentinians could meet Ireland in a World Cup quarter-final in Brisbane on 31 October 2027.
It seems unlikely that either Farrell or Contepomi’s sides will change all that much with less than a year until then, but there’s no knowing where they will be with their form and confidence.
There’s plenty of context for Friday night’s clash at the Aviva Stadium, but the Pumas are coming with the primary mission of another historic win on Irish soil.
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