Nations Championship · Round 1
Argentina
Scotland
Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba
Championship Standings
The inaugural Nations Championship has no single league table — twelve sides split into a Southern pool (the Rugby Championship nations) and a Northern pool (the Six Nations) and play a full cross-hemisphere round-robin over six rounds, with the top team in each pool meeting in a London final. This is the opening round, so every side starts on zero; the seeding below reflects pre-tournament World Rugby ranking. Four points for a win, two for a draw, plus bonus points for four tries or a loss inside seven.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | ||||||
| 1 |  South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2 |  New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 3 | Argentina | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 4 |  Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 5 |  Fiji | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 6 |  Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| North | ||||||
| 1 |  Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2 |  France | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 3 |  England | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 4 | Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 5 |  Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 6 |  Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
Argentina
W2, L3Los Pumas remain a maddening watch — capable of a 52–28 demolition of Wales and a 33–24 dismantling of this very Scotland side on tour last November, then a 67–30 humiliation by South Africa in Durban weeks earlier. The two-point home loss to the Boks and the four-point defeat in London show the ceiling; the Durban capitulation shows the floor. Crucially, Felipe Contepomi arrives in Córdoba without a chunk of his first-choice pack and midfield — Mallía, Juan Martín González, Gallo and Rubiolo injured, and the Top 14 finalists (Chocobares, Elías, Miotti, Piccardo) unavailable. Home advantage papers over a lot, but this is not a full-strength Argentina.
Scotland
W3, L2Scotland's 2026 Six Nations was pure box-office and pure frustration in equal measure — a 50–40 shoot-out win over France and a 31–20 dismantling of England at Murrayfield, undercut by a limp 18–15 defeat in Rome and a 43–21 hammering in Dublin. When Finn Russell is on song this backline is as dangerous as any in the world; when the pack goes backwards, it evaporates. They arrive off a bespoke pre-tour altitude-and-heat camp in Madrid, which Pieter de Villiers reckons has them 'ahead of the curve' — but they are missing rested regulars Gilchrist, Huw Jones and Kinghorn.
Head-to-Head Record
5 – 0 – 9
Argentina wins · Draws · Scotland wins (last 14 meetings)
Argentina (5)Scotland have owned this fixture across the past decade, winning nine of the last 14 — but the two most relevant data points cut the other way. Argentina took the 2022 tour series on home soil 2–1, and just eight months ago they walked into Murrayfield and won 33–24. On Argentine turf specifically this is a genuine coin-flip; the tourists' overall edge is built largely on results in Scotland.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | Autumn Test | Scotland 24–33 Argentina |
| Nov 2022 | Autumn Test | Scotland 52–29 Argentina |
| Jul 2022 | Summer Tour | Argentina 34–31 Scotland |
| Jul 2022 | Summer Tour | Argentina 6–29 Scotland |
| Jul 2022 | Summer Tour | Argentina 26–18 Scotland |
| Nov 2018 | Autumn Test | Scotland 14–9 Argentina |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Scotland 25 – Argentina 20 across the last 14 meetings. But Argentina won the most recent clash 33–24 at Murrayfield and took the 2022 series in Argentina — recent form in this fixture favours the hosts.
Extended Form
Argentina6W, 5L (last 12 months)
Signature wins over New Zealand (29–23 in Buenos Aires) and Scotland (33–24 at Murrayfield), plus a 52–28 rout of Wales and a 52–17 win over Uruguay. Losses include a 67–30 evisceration by South Africa, a two-point home defeat to the Boks (29–27), and narrow reverses to England (27–23) and Australia.
Argentina beat the best (the All Blacks) and lost to the worst version of themselves (Durban) inside the same window. At home in Córdoba, in front of a partisan crowd, they are a top-five side — but the depleted selection for this opener tempers expectations.
Scotland5W, 3L (last 12 months)
Beat England (31–20), France (50–40) and Wales (26–23) in the 2026 Six Nations, plus a 56–0 demolition of Tonga in November. Lost to Italy (18–15), Ireland (43–21) and — most pertinently — Argentina (24–33) last autumn.
Scotland's attacking numbers are elite: 143 points in five Six Nations rounds. But the losses are the worry — beaten by Italy and blown away in Dublin — and their most recent meeting with Saturday's hosts ended in a nine-point defeat.
Argentina XV
Probable XV based on Contepomi's 34-man squad — the official team was not yet confirmed at time of writing (checked UAR channels, Americas Rugby News and Rugby365). Argentina are heavily reshaped by absence: Juan Cruz Mallía, Juan Martín González, Thomas Gallo and Pedro Rubiolo are injured, while Top 14 finalists Chocobares, Elías, Miotti and Piccardo are unavailable. Captain Julián Montoya (117 caps) anchors an experienced spine alongside Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer and Guido Petti; Bath's Santiago Carreras is expected at fullback with brother Mateo on the wing.
Scotland XV
Predicted XV — Gregor Townsend had not named his official team at time of writing (checked scottishrugby.org, The Offside Line and Scotland Rugby News). The big news is positive: Finn Russell is fit and expected to start. Sione Tuipulotu captains, with Darcy Graham and Kyle Steyn on the wings. Rested regulars Grant Gilchrist, Huw Jones and Blair Kinghorn are absent, opening the door for Kyle Rowe at fullback and Alex Samuel in the second row; uncapped hookers Gregor Hiddleston and Seb Stephen travel as cover.
Key Matchups
This splits cleanly: Argentina up front, Scotland out wide. Los Pumas' pack — Montoya, Matera, Kremer, Petti — is a genuine weapon even shorn of González and Gallo, and the Córdoba scrum could be where the game is won. Scotland's counter is obvious and lethal: Finn Russell pulling the strings behind a mobile back row, feeding Graham, Steyn and Tuipulotu in space. The decisive battle is at the breakdown and the gainline — if Argentina slow Scotland's ruck ball and squeeze the set piece, Russell never gets front-foot possession. If the tourists win quick ball, their edges are more dangerous than anything the reshaped hosts can muster.
Match Forecast
This is the closest call of Round 1. The scorecard nets to just +2 for Argentina — home advantage in Córdoba and a heavyweight pack (Montoya, Matera, Kremer) versus a Scotland side whose backline, marshalled by a fit Finn Russell, is the sharper attacking unit. Los Pumas beat this Scotland team 33–24 only eight months ago and won their 2022 home series, so the recent head-to-head favours the hosts even though Scotland lead the historical ledger 9–5.
The caveat cuts against Argentina: this is a heavily depleted selection, missing Mallía, González, Gallo, Rubiolo and their Top 14 finalists, and Scotland arrive off a bespoke heat-and-altitude camp in Madrid claiming to be 'ahead of the curve.' If Russell gets front-foot ball, Scotland's edges can win it — the Italy result this year proves they can also no-show. Expect a tight, high-tempo contest decided in the final quarter; home advantage and the set piece just tip it to the Pumas.
Argentina to edge a tight one in Córdoba — but if Finn Russell finds his rhythm, Scotland have the firepower to spoil the party.