November Internationals 2024 – Ireland vs Argentina – ARN Guide

Ireland host Argentina in the second weekend of the 2024 November Internationals. It is one of rugby’s great rivalries at Rugby World Cups; however, the teams last met at Rugby World Cup 2015. They have also not played against each-other a lot since then with just three matches all of which took place at the same venue as Friday’s test match. Ireland head into the match following a hard-fought home defeat against New Zealand. Argentina broke records against Italy in Udine.

 

FORM GUIDE

Current World Ranking: 3 (90.58 points)
2024-11-08 – Ireland 13-23 New Zealand (Dublin, IE)
2024-07-13 – South Africa 24-25 Ireland (Durban, ZA)
2024-07-06 – South Africa 27-20 Ireland (Pretoria, ZA)
2024-03-16 – Ireland 17-13 Scotland (Dublin, IE)
2024-03-09 – England 23-22 Ireland (London, GB-ENG)
2024-02-24 – Ireland 31-07 Wales (Dublin, IE)
2024-02-11 – Ireland 36-0 Italy (Dublin, IE)
2024-02-02 – France 17-38 Ireland (Marseilles, FR)

Current World Ranking: 5 (85.60 points)
2024-11-09 – Italy 18-50 Argentina (Udine, IT)
2024-09-28 – South Africa 48-07 Argentina (Nelspruit, ZA)
2024-09-21 – Argentina 29-28 South Africa (Santiago de Estero, AR)
2024-09-07 – Argentina 67-27 Australia (Santa Fe, AR)
2024-08-31 – Argentina 19-20 Australia (La Plata, AR)
2024-08-17 – New Zealand 42-10 Argentina (Auckland, NZ)
2024-08-10 – New Zealand 30-38 Argentina (Wellington, NZ)
2024-07-20 – Uruguay 05-79 Argentina (Punta del Este, UY)
2024-07-13 – Argentina 33-25 France (Buenos Aires, AR)
2024-07-06 – Argentina 13-28 France (Mendoza, AR)

 

+ STARTING LINEUP CHANGES (from vs ;  vs )

12 Robbie Henshaw replaces Bundee Aki

4 Guido Petti replaces Franco Molina
6 Pablo Matera replaces Juan Martín Gonzalez
7 Juan Martín Gonzalez moves from 6 to 7; replaces Santiago Grondona
12 Matías Moroni replaces Matías Orlando

 

+ TEST DEBUT

– Thomas Clarkson; Sam Prendergast

– Justo Piccardo

 

+ MOST CAPS

– C Healy (132); P O’Mahony (108); R Henshaw (74); A Porter (67); J Ryan (65); J van der Flier (65)

– P Matera (107); J Montoya (103); M Moroni (87); G Petti (85); G Bertranou (66); S Carreras (51)

 

+ LEAST CAPS

– T Clarkson (0); S Prendergast (0); J Osborne (3); J McCarthy (13); C Craig (15); J Crowley (17)

– J Piccardo (0); R Isgró (5); I Calles (6); G García (9); F Molina (10); J Oviedo (11); T Albornoz (15)

 

+ NOTABLE ABSENTEES

– Dan Sheehan (HK); Tadhg Furlong (TH); Bundee Aki (CE)

– Eduardo Bello (TH); Marcos Kremer (FL) Facundo Isa (N8); Santiago Chocobares (CE); Emiliano Boffelli (WI); Mateo Carreras (WI)

 

NOTES

• Ireland have had an extra day to prepare; Argentina played vs Italy in Udine on Saturday while Ireland faced New Zealand in Dublin on Friday.
• The Six Nations Champions are looking to rebound from a loss against New Zealand.
• Argentina defeated Italy in Udine. It was Argentina’s biggest win against Italy in 46-years of international competition between Los Pumas and Italy.
• International competition between Ireland and Argentina dates back to 1952.
• Ireland are undefeated at home against Argentina.
• Leinster players Thomas Clarkson and Sam Prendergast will debut for Ireland as replacements.
• Replacement Cian Healy will match Brian O’Driscoll’s Irish record of 133 caps.
• Robbie Henshaw also reaches a milestone; he earns his 75th cap. He replaces New Zealander Bundee Aki.
• Felipe Contepomi has made 3 changes: Pablo Matera returns from suspension to start ahead of Santiago Grondona; Guido Petti replaces Franco Molina and Matías Orlando makes way for Matías Moroni.
• Justo Piccardo will debut as a replacement for Argentina. He will become Puma #896 and the first back to debut under Felipe Contepomi. The other rookie Pumas are all forwards: Franco Molina, Bautista Pedemonte, Joaquín Moro, Francisco Coria Marchetti, Efraín Elías, and Pedro Delgado.
• Matías Moroni starts in a third position this year. He has played both wing and outside center. His previously started at inside center against Scotland in 2022. He will be the 4th player to wear the Pumas 12 jersey in 2024 following Jerónimo de la Fuente, Santiago Chocobares and Matías Orlando.
• Guido Petti, Pablo Matera, Matías Moroni and Julián Montoya are survivors from the Rugby World Cup 2015 Quarter Final victory over Ireland. Moroni scored the opening try that day in the 3rd minute.
• Ireland’s team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. None of the 23 named to face Argentina were born in Northern Ireland or Ulster.
• Five of Ireland’s 23 players are not homegrown. Finlay Bealham, Rob Herring, Jamison Ratu Gibson-Park, James Lowe and Mack Hansen arrived in Ireland as adults. Gibson-Park, Lowe and Hansen moved as professional players from Super Rugby. All 23 of Argentina’s players are homegrown.
• Felipe Contepomi played for Leinster from 2003–2009 and was an assistant coach from 2018–2022.

 

PREDICTION

The world’s 3rd ranked team has home advantage against the world’s 5th ranked team. The two teams are the only ones to have defeated the 2023 Rugby World Cup Champions, South Africa, in 2024. Both Ireland and Argentina also had excellent campaigns in the Six Nations and Rugby Championship respectively. Argentina won last weekend while Ireland lost after having been in a winning position. The home side have had an extra day’s preparation compared to the visitors; Ireland played at home last Friday while Los Pumas played in northeastern Italy on Saturday. Ireland are favorites to win in Dublin.

 

LINE-UPS

IRELAND
1 Andrew Porter, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Joe McCarthy, 5 James Ryan, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris (capt.), 9 Jamison Ratu Gibson-Park, 10 Jack Crowley, 11 James Lowe, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 13 Garry Ringrose, 14 Mack Hansen, 15 Hugo Keenan

Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Ryan Baird, 20 Peter O’Mahony, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Sam Prendergast, 23 Jamie Osborne

ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 6 Pablo Matera (vice-capt.), 7 Juan Martín González, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 11 Bautista Delguy, 12 Matías Moroni 13 Lucio Cinti, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía (vice-capt.)

Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Ignacio Calles, 18 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Santiago Grondona, 21 Gonzalo García, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Justo Piccardo

 

MATCH INFO

Date: Friday, November 15
Kickoff: 8:10pm (Ireland); 4:10pm (Argentina)
Venue: Dublin Arena (Dublin, Ireland)
Broadcasts: ESPN, Disney + (Argentina)
Weather Forecast: Cloudy; 10° Celsius; Wind W 9 km/hr

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Bunker: Andrew Jackson (England)

 

HISTORY  vs (1952-2024)

2021-11-21 – Ireland 53-7 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2018-11-10 – Ireland 28-17 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2017-11-25 – Ireland 28-19 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2015-10-18 – Ireland 20-43 Argentina (Cardiff, GB-CYM) – RWC
2014-06-14 – Argentina 17-29 Ireland (Tucumán, AR)
2014-06-07 – Argentina 17-23 Ireland (Resistencia, AR)
2012-11-24 – Ireland 46-24 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2010-11-28 – Ireland 29-09 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2008-11-22 – Ireland 17-03 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2007-09-30 – Ireland 15-30 Argentina (Paris, FR)
2007-06-02 – Argentina 16-0 Ireland (Buenos Aires, AR)
2007-05-26 – Argentina 22-20 Ireland (Santa Fe, AR)
2004-11-27 – Ireland 21-19 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2003-10-26 – Ireland 16-15 Argentina (Adelaide, AU) – RWC
2002-11-23 – Ireland 16-7 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
2000-10-20 – Argentina 34-23 Ireland (Buenos Aires, AR)
1999-10-20 – Ireland 24-32 Argentina (Lens, FR) – RWC
1999-08-28 – Ireland 32-24 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
1990-10-27 – Ireland 20-18 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
1973-11-10 – Ireland 21-8 Argentina (Dublin, IE)
1970-09-20 – Argentina 6-3 Ireland (Buenos Aires, AR)
1970-09-13 – Argentina 8-3 Ireland (Buenos Aires, AR)
1952-08-31 – Argentina 0-6 Ireland (Buenos Aires, AR)
1952-08-24 – Argentina 3-3 Ireland (Buenos Aires, AR)

HEAD TO HEAD  vs

Ireland Wins 15
Argentina Wins 8
Draws 1