Argentina England rugby: Can the Pumas finally bite back?
England hold a stark edge in argentina england rugby history—24 wins to Argentina's five from 30 Tests since 1981—and have won the last five meetings. When they face the Pumas in Santiago del Estero on Saturday in the Nations Championship, the question is whether Argentina can finally break that psychological grip on home soil.
Key Takeaways
- England lead the all-time series 24–5–1 from 30 Tests dating back to 1981, including five straight recent wins.
- Saturday's Nations Championship clash in Santiago del Estero (8pm BST) arrives amid football World Cup semi-final tension between the same nations.
- Argentina have beaten New Zealand and South Africa in recent years, yet England remain a bogey side—winning all five World Cup meetings.
- Guy Pepper and Tommy Freeman expect a hostile, football-style crowd after England's decision not to wear national shirts in public.
Fresh from Wednesday's FIFA World Cup semi-final drama, Argentina host England in rugby's inaugural Nations Championship. The football rivalry has swung both ways; the rugby one has not. According to Sky Sports, England have won 15 of the last 16 Tests between the sides.
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Why has argentina england rugby stayed so one-sided?
Since their first Test in 1981, England's dominance has been near-total: 24 victories, five Argentina wins and one draw. The Pumas' successes came at home in 1990, 1997 and 2009, plus Twickenham shocks in 2006 and 2022.
Argentina have grown into genuine heavyweights—World Cup semi-finalists in 2015, with landmark wins over New Zealand (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025) and South Africa (2015, 2016, 2018, 2024). They have also beaten Australia four times since 2022. Against England, though, the bogey persists. England won every World Cup meeting (1995, 2011, 2019, 2023 pool games, plus the 2023 third-place play-off) and swept tours of Argentina 2–0 in 2013, 2017 and 2025 even without British and Irish Lions players.
Can the Pumas bite back in Santiago del Estero?
Form offers mixed signals. Argentina were outplayed in a 47–38 home loss to Scotland in Cordoba two weeks ago, then beat Wales 35–21 in San Juan while shipping 21 points. England ended a five-Test losing run with a heavy win over 14-player Fiji last weekend after a fifth-place Six Nations finish and a thumping defeat in South Africa.
RugbyPass notes that another England victory would be a sixth successive win over the Pumas, extending a psychological edge that has held since Argentina's one-point Twickenham win in November 2022. England also carry November baggage: Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi called flanker Tom Curry a "bully" and claimed he was "smacked" in the tunnel after England's 27–23 win—nothing further came of it, but the edge remains.
Will England silence a football-crowd atmosphere?
Steve Borthwick's squad, based in Buenos Aires until Thursday, chose not to wear England shirts in public amid post-semi-final tension. Wing Tommy Freeman expects an "angry" atmosphere: "We'll see how hostile it gets here… I think they'll probably be angry, so Saturday could be a tough game."
Flanker Guy Pepper, who debuted on last year's Argentina tour, likened the noise to a "football-crowd type mentality" and said outscoring the hosts can "shut them up." With tails up after Fiji and history on their side, England arrive as favourites—but the Pumas finally have the stage, the crowd and the motive to bite back.