Rugby’s Overdue Test Matches

Next month will see the final competitor for RWC 2019 confirmed. The month will also see widespread international competition involving all of of the 19 qualified countries and many others. Many will play in familiar rivalries. What though are rugby’s overdue test matches?

1 Australia vs Georgia
In the Australian-hosted RWC 2003 tournament the Georgians made their World Cup debut. Since then they have firmly established themselves as a permanent competitor. Yet Georgia has never faced Australia in a test match. This will change in Shizuoka, Japan when the teams meet during RWC 2019. New Zealand vs Uruguay is another match with no history yet Uruguay missed out on RWCs 2007 and 2011.

2 South Africa vs Japan
The Brighton classic has not seen a sequel. As mind-boggling as this is in itself it is exacerbated as Japan has a 100% winning record against South Africa. Their match in RWC 2015 was the first time the teams faced-off in a test match.

3 USA vs Namibia
One rivalry with no history is the USA vs Namibia, an unfortunate fact which should not last for much longer. The new World Rugby initiative – the League of Nations – will surely see the teams facing in 2020.

4 Scotland vs Namibia
Another fixture with no records is Scotland vs Namibia. Surprisingly the teams have never crossed paths in a RWC. This will continue in RWC 2019 in Namibia’s sixth consecutive tournament.

5 Italy vs Georgia
With there being no promotion or relegation in the 6 Nations next month’s Italy vs Georgia fixture is of vital interest to Tier 2 rugby present and future. The match in Florence is to be just the second time the countries have met. The first was in 2003 – a very long time ago in international sport.

6 South Africa vs Canada
During a period of the 1990’s Canada was the best team from the Americas. This included a Quarter Finals finish at RWC 1991, a famous win over Wales in Cardiff in 1993 and a home win over France in 1994. Yet RWC 1995 would be the first time Canada faced South Africa. The second, and final time, would be in 2000. Should Canada win the Global Repechage Tournament next month then the 18-year-wait will be over with the Springboks facing the Repechage winner in Kobe, Japan.

7 Ireland vs Tonga
Ireland played a test in Tonga in 2003 yet has never hosted Tonga. The teams faced in RWC 1987 but otherwise only have the 2003 fixture in international competition. The USA, Canada, Fiji, Japan, and Samoa have all faced Ireland both at home and away.

8 Australia vs Tonga
Despite geography and a sizable Tongan population in Australia there has not been a test match between the countries in 20 years. A year out from winning RWC 1999 the Wallabies hosted and demolished Tonga 78-0. It was the fourth game between the countries. In 1993 Australia won 52-14 but in 1973 the team’s traded wins with Tonga recording a 16-11 win in Brisbane.

9 Argentina vs Samoa
There have been four capped matches between Argentina and Samoa though the reality is the number should stand at three. The 2005 fixture saw Argentina’s domestic talent playing at home against Samoa’s best. The Pacific Islanders won the match 28-12. Prior matches were exclusively during World Cups. In 1991 and 1995 Samoa won 35-12 and 32-26 while Argentina recorded a 32-16 win in RWC 1999, some 19 years ago.

10 Argentina vs Fiji
Los Pumas hosted Fiji in 1980, winning 38-16 and 34-22. Seven years later Fiji won 28-9 in RWC 1987. A further sixteen years later Fiji fell to a 49-30 defeat in Córdoba in an RWC 2003 warm-up match.

Los Pumas have not played a test in Fiji or Samoa. The same holds true against Tonga, a pool opponent of Los Pumas in both RWC 2015 and 2019. The two matches are the only ever test matches between the countries.

Why then have there been so few games between Argentina and the Pacific Islands?

There are four broad reasons. The first is geography with the locations being both far apart and there not being direct flights between them. This combines to make it an expensive operation. Secondly, the Pacific Islands have problems in securing home test matches with Tonga notably failing to host a single home international from 2010-2016. Thirdly, the European club season and Super Rugby have meant only June and November have been feasible. Tying in with geography is the issue of the south at home in June and visiting Europe in November. Lastly, and highly connected to the third point is that Argentina is a lucrative Tier 1 opponent and a prime rival of each of the 6 Nations.