England vs Argentina: A one-sided rugby rivalry - will Pumas bite back?
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- England have dominated the rivalry historically with a 24-5-1 record across 30 Tests since 1981 and a perfect 5-0 mark at World Cups (pool wins in 1995, 2011, 2019 and 2023, plus the 2023 third-place play-off).
- Argentina host England at 8pm BST on Saturday in Santiago del Estero for round three of the Nations Championship, aiming to end a run of five straight defeats in the fixture (England have won 15 of the last 16 meetings overall).
- Argentina's form has dipped sharply heading in — a 47-38 home loss to Scotland two weeks ago was followed by a narrow 35-21 escape against struggling Wales last week, while England ended a five-Test losing streak with a heavy win over 14-player Fiji.
- Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi labelled England flanker Tom Curry a "bully" and claimed he was "smacked" in the tunnel after November's 27-23 England win, an incident the Pumas set-up have not forgotten.
- England players opted not to wear national shirts in Argentina this week, with wing Tommy Freeman telling media he expects an "angry" atmosphere given the tension still simmering from Wednesday's FIFA World Cup semi-final between the two nations.
Why it matters: Argentina have beaten New Zealand, South Africa and Australia in recent years yet still cannot crack England — and their shaky form (a 9-point home loss to Scotland, a narrow win over Wales) means their best shot at ending a five-Test losing streak against England comes at a moment when England themselves are rebuilding confidence after a fifth-place Six Nations finish.
