After months of frustrating interruptions, Argentina welcomed back their best and brightest for the northern leg of the inaugural Nations Championship, with the Pumas and Ireland to both play every weekend in November.
Match News and Current Form
The southern series of the 2026 Nations Championship produced an eclectic mix of thrillers and blowouts and a fascinating Northern Hemisphere table as none of the Six Nations teams came away with a perfect record. Four teams ended up with 2-1 records including Ireland, who were in fourth place only because of points difference, in part because they didn’t quite meet expectations when both Australia (W 33-30) and Japan (W 36-20) pushed them to their limits in the southern series.
Ireland maintained a perfect 3-0 record on home during the 2026 Six Nations and, despite also being tested along the way by Italy (W 20-13) and Wales (W 27-17), Andy Farrell’s side are expected to extend their winning streak at home here by punching down against the Pumas, not least because they’ve won each of their last 34 home games against teams currently outside of World Rugby’s top four (South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, France).
To say that Argentina’s national team have had a disrupted 2026 is a bit of an understatement. New Zealand’s withdrawal from the Rugby Championship to instead tour South Africa meant that they instead had to settle for just one game against a second-string Springboks team and a two-leg home series against rank number seven Australia, whilst a spate of injuries and an overlap with the European club season meant that the bulk of their best players were not available for national team duty in August-September.
With that in mind, their three-game winless run in the midyear period (D1, L2) should be taken with a grain of salt as they had to field undermanned sides in all three games. One win from their last seven matches (D1, L5) looks a discouraging set of circumstances on paper, but all five of those defeats - including against the Springboks and at home and away to England - were all accompanied by narrow single-digit margins. With many of their stars like Julian Montoya, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras and Juan Cruz Mallia returning, they should be capable of making the incremental improvement needed to correct that record.
Head-to-Head History
Ireland have dominated this matchup with nine wins from the last ten meetings, the one exception being the 2015 Rugby World Cup, whilst they boast a perfect 11-0 record at home to the Pumas in Dublin.
Five of their last six victories came with a 1-12 point margin at any venue, the most recent being a 22-19 Dublin win in the autumn of 2024.
Hot Stats and Streaks
Ireland boast a 13-1 record as betting favourites since the start of 2025.
Ireland covered the main spread in only two of their eight games this year, failing to do so in all three Nations Championship matches.
Argentina did not win any of their four matches as a betting outsider this year (D1, L3).
Four of Argentina’s six games this year produced a final margin of 0-7 points.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Ireland fullback Hugo Keenan made a recent return from injury and has dotted down in three of his five games for club or country in 2026/27. Argentina centre Justo Piccardo comes into this window with tries in two of his last three Top 14 games for Montpellier and also scored at home to Wales and England in the southern series.
Captain Caelan Doris, centre Garry Ringrose and number eight Jack Conan are Ireland’s headline injuries. Thomas Gallo and Santiago Carreras are out for Argentina.
Click here to see the latest team selection news for the Nations Championship.
Betting Analysis
Given how close Argentina’s games have been this year and Ireland’s inability to cover the spread, Argentina with an +8.5 point handicap looks worth backing.
Author: Aaron Murphy
