Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Argentina plays host to Australia in Mendoza on Saturday. It is the second match of a two-match series between Los Pumas and the Wallabies. The unusual tour was organized in place of the 2026 Rugby Championship after New Zealand and South Africa withdrew to play a series between themselves.
Australia held on to win the first test match in a gritty performance. The Wallabies were 27-21 winners in San Salvador de Jujuy last Saturday. That result continued the back-and-forth between the teams; the competitiveness has seen the teams exchanging wins and losses throughout the ongoing Rugby World Cup cycle.
The teams most recently played each other in Mendoza in 2022. On that occasion, the Wallabies staged a comeback en route to a comfortable 41-26 victory. Los Pumas rebounded one week later to win 48-17 in San Juan. Those two results are a sample of how competition has been between Argentina and Australia from 2022 to present.
Australia has a strong record in Mendoza, but if they win this match, they will achieve a historic first: the Wallabies have never swept a two-Test series on Argentine soil before. Previous tours in 2022 and 2024 saw them win the first match only to drop the second.
The seven test results since the aforementioned test match in San Juan have been closely split. Argentina won 34-31 in Sydney in 2023 in the only match between the teams that year. In 2024 the Wallabies won 20-19 late in La Plata but fell to a record 67-27 defeat one week later in Santa Fe. The 2025 matches saw Australia winning 28-24 with the clock deep in the red in Townsville and Argentina winning 28-26 in Sydney.
The Wallabies will look to lock up a historic tour victory when they face Los Pumas in Mendoza, completely unfazed by the seismic scheduling shift happening elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. The absence of a 2026 Rugby Championship stems from a joint decision by New Zealand and South Africa to pause the tournament this year to face each other in an old-school series billed as “The Greatest Rugby Rivalry.”
| FORM GUIDE |
Current World Ranking: 8 (82.08 points)
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 4, 2026 | Scotland | Loss | 38–47 | Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes (Córdoba) |
| July 11, 2026 | Wales | Win | 35–21 | Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario (San Juan) |
| July 18, 2026 | England | Loss | 24–31 | Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades (Santiago del Estero) |
| August 8, 2026 | South Africa | Loss | 10–17 | Estadio José Amalfitani (Buenos Aires) |
| August 27, 2026 | Australia | Loss | 21–27 | Estadio 23 de Agosto (San Salvador de Jujuy) |
Current World Ranking: 7 (83.71 points)
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 4, 2026 | Ireland | Loss | 31 – 33 | Allianz Stadium (Sydney) |
| July 11, 2026 | France | Loss | 26 – 42 | Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane) |
| July 18, 2026 | Italy | Win | 57 – 10 | HBF Park (Perth) |
| August 8, 2026 | Japan | Win | 35 – 32 | Hanazono Rugby Stadium (Osaka) |
| August 15, 2026 | Japan | Win | 56 – 17 | Queensland Country Bank Stadium (Townsville) |
| August 27, 2026 | Argentina | Win | 27 – 21 | Estadio 23 de Agosto (San Salvador de Jujuy) |
| STARTING LINEUP CHANGES |
|
IN | OUT |
| 3 | Pedro Delgado | Francisco Moreno |
| 4 | Efraín Elías | Guido Petti |
| 5 | Franco Molina | Tomás Lavanini |
| 7 | Guido Petti | Benjamín Grondona |
| 10 | Nicolás Roger | Santiago Carreras |
| 15 | Santiago Carreras | Gerónimo Prisciantelli |
|
IN | OUT |
| 1 | Angus Bell | Isaac Kailea |
| 2 | Billy Pollard | Brandon Paenga-Amosa |
| 3 | Taniela Tupou | Allan Alaalatoa |
| 6 | Rob Valetini | Tom Hooper |
| 8 | Harry Wilson | Rob Valetini |
| 10 | Ben Donaldson | Carter Gordon |
| 11 | Filipo Daugunu | Harry Potter |
| 12 | Len Ikitau | Hunter Paisami |
| 13 | Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii | Isaac Henry |
| DEBUT |
– Facundo Cardozo (FL), Mateo Soler (FB)
| MOST CAPS |
– P Matera (126), G Petti (103), T Lavanini (93), S Carreras (69), G Bertranou (68), L Cinti (44), M Vivas (43), I Ruiz (32).
– T Tupou (72), R Valetini (67), A Bell (56), L Ikitau (53), T Wright (49), L Salakaia-Loto (46), F McReight.
| LEAST CAPS |
– JM Scelzo (1), F Moreno (2), L Oviedo (2), J Penoucos (2), R Martínez (4), N Roger (4), F Sánchez Valarolo (4), E Elías (5), I Mendy (7), J Moro (7), B Wenger (10), P Delgado (11), S Benítez Cruz (14).
– K Thomas (1), M de Lutiis (2), I Henry (3), A Ross (5), C Cale (5), J Canham (7), R Lonergan (11), C Gordon (12), J Nasser (15).
| NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– Thomas Gallo (LH), Bautista Bernasconi (HK), Julián Montoya (HK), Eduardo Bello (TH), Joel Sclavi (TH), Franco Molina (LO), Matías Alemanno (LO), Pedro Rubiolo (LO), Juan Martín González (FL), Santiago Grondona (FL), Marcos Kremer (FL), Joaquin Oviedo (NO. 8), Gonzalo García (SH), Tomás Albornoz (FH), Santiago Chocobares (CE), Matías Moroni (CE), Justo Piccardo (CE), Mateo Carreras (WI), Bautista Delguy (WI), Benjamín Elizalde (FB), Juan Cruz Mallía (FB).
– Tom Robertson (LH), Matt Faessler (HK), Lachlan Lonergan (HK), Zane Nongorr (TH), Nick Frost (LO), Will Skelton (LO), Tom Hooper (SH), Jake Gordon (SH), Tate McDermott (SH), Dylan Pietsch (WI).
| NOTES |
- The match is the second of a two match series. Australia can secure the series with a victory.
- The Wallabies are on a four match winning-streak with the first being under the former coach.
- Australia are unbeaten under new head coach Les Kiss. The Wallabies defeated Japan 35-32 in Osaka, and 56-17 in Townsville, Australia and won last weekend 27-21 in Jujuy.
- Pablo Matera captains Los Pumas for the 20th time.
- Both Argentine vice-captains will start in different positions than in Jujuy. Guido Petti moves from second-row to flanker while Santiago Carreras moves from fly half to fullback.
- Nicolás Roger gets his first test start against a Tier 1 opponent. Roger previously played 10 against Uruguay in 2025. His selection comes after former Puma Domingo Miotti defected to Italy.
- Efraín Elías will make his first start for Los Pumas in his 6th test match for his country.
- Facundo Cardozo, and Mateo Soleo will debut for Argentina as replacement. Both are Super Rugby Americas players with Cardozo playing flanker for Tarucas and Soler fullback / wing for Dogos. Cardozo is a hometown player from the Teqüe club.
- Mateo Soler will become a second generation Puma. His father, Facundo Soler was a Pumas winger from 1996-2002.
- NO. 8 Harry Wilson returns to lead the team in place of tight head Allan Alaalatoa who drops out.
- Former All Black Aidan Ross is a replacement prop for the Wallabies.
- Wallaby number 939, Tom Wright will earn his 50th cap for Australia.
- Matías Moroni was on track to earn his 100th cap in Mendoza but is out following a head knock in Jujuy.
- Australia lost scrum-half Tate McDermott (knee) and back-rower Tom Hooper (shoulder) to injuries.
- Ben Donaldson earns his first start at fly half for Australia since 2024. His last start was 67-27 defeat in Santa Fe. One week earlier, Donaldson kicked the winning points in La Plata in 2024.
- Western Force teammates from earlier this year will lock the scrum for rival teams: Jeremy Williams for Australia and Franco Molina for Argentina.
- Les Kiss has recalled his powerhouse center pairing. Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii have been named to start together. This marks their 17th partnership in the last 25 Tests.
- Lukhan Salakaia-Loto has 46 caps, a greater number than the other 7 replacement Wallabies combined.
- Due to this year’s non-tournament status, Pumas management negotiated directly with Top 14 clubs. With the French season starting this weekend, agreements are the reason why many of the 21 unavailable players are missing. Contepomi will have full access a week earlier than normal for November.
| PREDICTION |
Felipe Contepomi’s Pumas and Les Kiss’ Wallabies share highly similar playing styles, both employing a progressive, high-tempo, and expansive brand of modern rugby. Both coaches prioritize quick ball recycling and moving the ball wide to explosive outside backs, moving away from purely conservative, kick-heavy tactics. While both teams rely heavily on forward physicality to dominate the gainline, they balance this brutality with sharp ball-handling and clever tactical kicking. Both teams had momentum at different times in Jujuy with Australia doing better at recovering after conceding points. Australia are favorites to win in Mendoza.
| LINE-UPS |
ARGENTINA
1 Boris Wenger, 2 Ignacio Ruiz, 3 Pedro Delgado, 4 Efraín Elías, 5 Franco Molina, 6 Pablo Matera (capt.), 7 Guido Petti (vice-capt.), 8 Joaquín Moro, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz, 10 Nicolás Roger, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 12 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 15 Santiago Carreras (vice-capt.)
Replacements: 16 Leonel Oviedo, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Francisco Moreno, 19 Tomás Lavanini, 20 Juan Martín Scelzo, 21 Facundo Cardozo, 22 Gonzalo Bertranou, 23 Mateo Soler
AUSTRALIA
1 Angus Bell, 2 Billy Pollard, 3 Taniela Tupou, 4 Josh Canham, 5 Jeremy Williams, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.), 9 Ryan Lonergan, 10 Ben Donaldson, 11 Filipo Daugunu, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Max Jorgensen, 15 Tom Wright
Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Massimo de Lutiis, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Charlie Cale, 21 Kalani Thomas, 22 Carter Gordon, 23 Issac Henry
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, September 05
Kickoff: 6pm (Argentina), 7am on Sunday, September 6 Australia (AEST)
Venue: Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza (AR)
Broadcasts: ESPN, Disney + (AR), Nine Network, Stan Sport (AU)
Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy; 19°C; Wind 3 km/h
| MATCH OFFICIALS |
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Television Match Official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Split Screen/FPRO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
| HISTORY vs (1979-2026) |
2026/08/27 – Argentina 21-27 Australia (San Salvador de Jujuy, AR)
2025/09/13 – Australia 26-28 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
2025/09/06 – Australia 28-24 Argentina (Townsville, AU)
2024/09/07 – Argentina 67-27 Australia (Santa Fe, AR)
2024/08/31 – Argentina 19-20 Australia (La Plata, AR)
2023/07/15 – Australia 31-34 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
2022/08/13 – Argentina 48-17 Australia (San Juan, AR)
2022/08/06 – Argentina 26-41 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2021/10/02 – Australia 32-17 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2021/09/25 – Australia 27-08 Argentina (Townsville, AU)
2020/12/05 – Australia 16-16 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
2020/11/21 – Australia 15-15 Argentina (Newcastle, AU)
2019/07/27 – Australia 19-10 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
2018/10/06 – Argentina 34-45 Australia (Salta, AR)
2018/09/15 – Australia 19-23 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2017/10/07 – Argentina 20-37 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2017/09/16 – Australia 45-20 Argentina (Canberra, AU)
2016/10/08 – Argentina 21-33 Australia (London, UK)
2016/09/17 – Australia 36-20 Argentina (Perth, AU)
2015/10/25 – Australia 29-15 Argentina (London, UK)
2015/07/25 – Argentina 9-34 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2014/10/04 – Argentina 21-17 Australia (Mendoza, AR)
2014/09/13 – Australia 32-25 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2013/10/05 – Argentina 17-54 Australia (Rosario, AR)
2013/09/14 – Australia 14-13 Argentina (Perth, AU)
2012/10/06 – Argentina 19-25 Australia (Rosario, AR)
2012/09/15 – Australia 23-19 Argentina (Gold Coast, AU)
2003/10/10 – Australia 24-8 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
2002/11/02 – Argentina 06-17 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
2000/06/24 – Australia 32-25 Argentina (Canberra, AU)
2000/06/17 – Australia 53-06 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1983/11/08 – Argentina 18-16 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1997/11/01 – Argentina 15-23 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1995/05/06 – Australia 30-13 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
1995/04/30 – Australia 53-07 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1991/10/04 – Australia 32-19 Argentina (Llanelli, UK)
1987/11/07 – Argentina 27-19 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1987/10/31 – Argentina 19-19 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
1986/07/12 – Australia 26-0 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
1986/07/06 – Australia 39-19 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1983/08/07 – Australia 29-13 Argentina (Sydney, AU)
1983/07/31 – Australia 03-18 Argentina (Brisbane, AU)
1979/11/03 – Argentina 12-27 Australia (Buenos Aires (AR)
1979/10/27 – Argentina 24-13 Australia (Buenos Aires, AR)
| HEAD TO HEAD VS |
Australia Wins 31
Argentina Wins 10
Draws 3
