Argentina at the Rugby World Cup
Argentina have competed in all the Rugby World Cup tournaments, starting with the inaugural 1987 tournament.
Their best result was finishing in third place in the 2007 tournament, played in France. They defeated the host side France in their opening game, then beat the other teams in Pool D, finishing top of the pool. In the knockout stage, they defeated Scotland in the quarter finals, before losing in the semi finals to eventual champions South Africa. In the Bronze Final they once again faced France, whom they defeated for a second time to attain third place.
Their second best result was fourth place in 2015. They also progressed past the pool stage in 1999 and 2011. In 1999 they defeated Ireland in the quarter final play-offs, but lost in the quarter-finals to France. In 2011 they lost to host team New Zealand in the quarter-finals.
Argentina has yet to host the World Cup. The Argentina national team is the most successful of any national side from the Americas at the tournament.
Contents
By position
For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.
| Year | Round | Position | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Pts For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  1987 (16) |
Pool Stage | 13th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 90 |
   1991 (16) |
Pool Stage | 14th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 83 |
 1995 (16) |
Pool Stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 69 | 87 |
 1999 (20) |
Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 137 | 122 |
| 2003 (20) |
Pool Stage | 9th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 140 | 57 |
| 2007 (20) |
Third place | 3rd | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 209 | 93 |
| 2011 (20) |
Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 73 |
 2015 (20) |
Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 250 | 143 |
 2019 (20) |
||||||||
| Total | – | – | 37 | 19 | – | 18 | 992 | 748 |
By matches
1987
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| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 34 | 6 |
 Fiji |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 56 | 101 | 2 |
 Argentina |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 90 | 2 |
 Italy |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 110 | 2 |
| 24 May 1987 |
| Argentina |
9 – 28 | Fiji |
| Try: Penalty try Con: Porta Pen: Porta |
Tries: Gale Naivilawasa Nalaga Savai Con: Koroduadua (2) Rokowailoa Pen: Koroduadua (2) |
| Rugby Park, Hamilton Referee: Jim Fleming  |
| 28 May 1987 |
| Argentina |
25 – 16 | Italy |
| Tries: Lanza Gómez Con: Porta Pen:Porta (5) |
Tries: Innocenti Cuttitta Con: Collodo Pen: Collodo (2) |
| Lancaster Park, Christchurch Referee: Roger Quittenton |
| 1 June 1987 |
| New Zealand |
46 – 15 | Argentina |
| Tries: Kirk Brooke Stanley Earl Crowley Whetton Con: Fox (2) Pen: Fox (6) |
Try: Lanza Con: Porta Pen: Porta (3) |
| Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Roger Quittenton |
1991
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Pool C games -
-
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points Australia3 0 0 79 25 9 
Western Samoa2 0 1 54 34 7 Wales1 0 2 32 61 5 Argentina0 0 3 38 83 3
| 4 October 1991 |
| Argentina |
19 – 32 | Australia |
| Tries: Teran (2) Con: Del Castillo Pen: Del Castillo Drop: Arbizu (2) |
Tries: Campese (2), Horan (2), Kearns Con: Lynagh (3) Pen: Lynagh (2) |
| Stradey Park, Llanelli Referee: David Bishop |
| 9 October 1991 |
| Wales |
16 – 7 | Argentina |
| Tries: Arnold Pen: Ring (3), Rayer |
Tries: Simon Pen: Del Castillo |
| Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Referee: Rene Hourquet |
| 13 October 1991 |
| Argentina |
12 – 35 | Western Samoa |
| Tries: Teran Con: Arbizu Pen: Laborde, Arbizu |
Tries: Tagaola (2), Lima (2), Bunce, Bachop Con: Vaea (4) Pen: Vaea |
| Sardis Road, Pontypridd Referee: Brian Anderson |
1995
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Pool B games -
-
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points England3 0 0 95 60 9 Western Samoa2 0 1 96 88 7 Italy1 0 2 69 94 5 Argentina0 0 3 69 87 3
| 27 May 1995 |
| Argentina |
18 – 24 | England |
| Tries: Lisandro Arbizu, Patricio Noriega Con: Lisandro Arbizu Pen: Lisandro Arbizu (2) |
Pen: Rob Andrew (6) Drop: Rob Andrew (2) |
| Kings Park Stadium, Durban Attendance: 30 000 Referee: Jim Fleming |
| 30 May 1995 |
| Western Samoa |
32 – 26 | Argentina |
| Tries: Pat Lam, George Leaupepe, George Harder Con: Darren Kellet Pen: Darren Kellet (5) |
Tries: Penalty try, Rodrigo Crexell Con: José Cilley (2) Pen: José Cilley (4) |
| Basil Kenyon Stadium, East London Attendance: 11 000 Referee: David Bishop |
| 4 June 1995 |
| Argentina |
25 – 31 | Italy |
| Tries: Matias Corral, Rolando Martin, José Cilley Con: José Cilley Pen: José Cilley |
Tries: Paolo Vaccari, Mario Gerosa, Diego Dominguez Con: Diego Dominguez (2) Pen: Diego Dominguez (4) |
| Basil Kenyon Stadium, East London Attendance: 11 000 Referee: Clayton Thomas |
1999
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Pool 4 games
-
Team Won Drawn Lost For Against Points Wales2 0 1 118 71 4 Samoa2 0 1 97 72 4 Argentina2 0 1 83 51 4 Japan0 0 3 36 140 0
| 1 October 1999 |
| Wales |
23 – 18 | Argentina |
| Tries: Colin Charvis, Mark Taylor Con: Neil Jenkins (2) Pen: Neil Jenkins (3) |
Pen: Gonzalo Quesada (6) |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Referee: Paddy O'Brien |
| 10 October 1999 |
| Argentina |
32 – 16 | Samoa |
| Tries: Alejandro Allub Pen: Gonzalo Quesada (8) Drop: Gonzalo Quesada |
Tries: Peter Paramore Con: Silao Leaegailesolo Pen: Silao Leaegailesolo (3) |
| Stradey Park, Llanelli Referee: Wayne Erickson |
| 16 October 1999 |
| Argentina |
33 – 12 | Japan |
| Tries: Diego Albanese, Agustín Pichot Con: Felipe Contepomi Pen: Gonzalo Quesada (7) |
Pen: Keiji Hirose (4) |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Referee: Stuart Dickinson |
Quarter final place offs -
| 20 October 1999 |
Ireland  |
24 – 28 | Argentina |
| Pen: David Humphreys (7) Drop: David Humphreys |
Tries: Diego Albanese Con: Gonzalo Quesada Pen: Gonzalo Quesada (7) |
| Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens Attendance: 41,320 Referee: Stuart Dickinson |
Quarter finals -
| 24 October 1999 |
| France |
47 – 26 | Argentina |
| Tries: Xavier Garbajosa (2), Philippe Bernat-Salles (2), Émile Ntamack Con: Christophe Lamaison (5) Pen: Christophe Lamaison (4) |
Tries: Agustín Pichot, Lisandro Arbizu Con: Gonzalo Quesada (2) Pen: Gonzalo Quesada (3), Felipe Contepomi |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 50,000 Referee: Derek Bevan |
2003
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Group A games -
| Team | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | BP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia |
4 | 0 | 0 | 273 | 32 | 2 | 18 |
| Ireland |
3 | 0 | 1 | 141 | 56 | 3 | 15 |
| Argentina |
2 | 0 | 2 | 140 | 57 | 3 | 11 |
 Romania |
1 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 192 | 1 | 5 |
 Namibia |
0 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 310 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 October 2003 |
| Australia |
24 – 8 | Argentina |
| Try: Sailor 20', Roff 74' Con: Flatley Pen: Flatley (4) |
Try: Corleto 72' Pen: M. Contepomi |
| Telstra Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 81,350 Referee: Paul Honiss |
| 14 October 2003 |
| Argentina |
67 – 14 | Namibia |
| Tries: Méndez, Bouza (2), J. Fernández Miranda, Penalty try (2), Gaitán (3), N. Fernández Miranda Con: Quesada (7) Pen: Quesada |
Tries: Grobier, Husselman Con: Wessels (2) |
| Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, Gosford Attendance: 17,887 Referee: Nigel Whitehouse |
| 22 October 2003 |
| Argentina |
50 – 3 | Romania |
| Tries: Gaitán, Hernández (2), M. Contepomi, N. Fernández Miranda, Bouza (2) Con: J. Fernández Miranda (4), Quesada (2) Pen: J. Fernández Miranda |
Pen: Ionut Tofan |
| Aussie Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 33,673 Referee: Chris White |
| 26 October 2003 |
| Argentina |
15 – 16 | Ireland |
| Pen: Quesada (3) Drop: Quesada, Corleto |
Tries: Quinlan Con: Humphreys Pen: Humphreys, O'Gara (2) |
| Adelaide Oval Attendance: 30,203 Referee: André Watson |
2007
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Los Pumas began their final preparation for the 2007 World Cup with a two-test series against visiting Ireland, who was grouped against them in France. In the first test on 26 May at Santa Fe, they scored a 22–20 win on a last-minute drop goal by Felipe Contepomi. Both teams were heavily experimental, especially the Irish, with stars such as Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Paul O'Connell and Gordon D'Arcy missing from the touring squad. The Pumas were themselves missing many stars who were playing that weekend in the final round of the 2006–07 Top 14 season in France.[1][2] The second test against Ireland was a 16-0 Pumas win at Vélez Sársfield on 2 June.[3] On 9 June, Los Pumas completed a clean sweep of their mid-year tests with a 24–6 win over Italy in Mendoza. They split their final warmup tests, defeating neighbours Chile 70-14 at CASI in Buenos Aires on 4 August and losing to Wales at Millennium Stadium 27–20 on 18 August.
At the World Cup, Los Pumas were drawn into the so-called pool of death, featuring two other teams ranked in the top six in the IRB rankings—Ireland and the hosts France. On top of this, they opened the World Cup at Stade de France against the French, marking the third consecutive World Cup in which they played against the host nation in the World Cup opener. In possibly one of their finest hours,[4] the Pumas took a 17-9 lead into the half, and held on for a surprising 17-12 win. The Pumas subsequently beat Georgia 33-3 on 11 September at the Stade de Gerland, Lyon. Argentina then went on to beat Namibia 63-3 in Marseille, the biggest winning margin in Argentine World Cup history. They then went on to secure a 30-15 victory against Ireland which ensured that they topped the group. They then defeated Scotland 19-13 in the quarter-final at the Stade de France. The Pumas' improbable run towards the Webb Ellis trophy ended in a comprehensive 37-13 defeat by the Springboks in the semi-final at Stade de France. However, the Pumas recovered to beat France for the second time in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, a 34-10 win in the 3rd/4th place playoff. The 3rd place showing for the Pumas in the 2007 World Cup was Argentina's best ever result in Rugby World Cup history, equal or better to the best showing by IRB founding nations Wales (who were 3rd in the 1987 Rugby World Cup), Scotland (who were 4th in the 1991 Rugby World Cup) and Ireland (which has never qualified for the Rugby World Cup semi-finals).
During their World Cup run, the normally football-crazed Argentines embraced the Pumas so much that El Superclásico, the Buenos Aires football derby between Boca Juniors and River Plate that is normally the biggest event in Argentine sport, was rescheduled so that it would not conflict with the Pumas' quarter-final match.[5] As the only major Spanish language country in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the Pumas also had considerable support from rugby fans in Spain, Uruguay, and other Latin American countries during their impressive five-game winning streak.
Pool D games -
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|
|
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 6 October – Stade Vélodrome, Marseille | ||||||||||
| Australia |
10 | |||||||||
| 13 October – Stade de France, St-Denis | ||||||||||
| England |
12 | |||||||||
| England |
14 | |||||||||
| 6 October – Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | ||||||||||
| France |
9 | |||||||||
| New Zealand |
18 | |||||||||
| 20 October – Stade de France, St-Denis | ||||||||||
| France |
20 | |||||||||
| England |
6 | |||||||||
| 7 October – Stade Vélodrome, Marseille | ||||||||||
| South Africa |
15 | |||||||||
| South Africa |
37 | |||||||||
| 14 October – Stade de France, St-Denis | ||||||||||
| Fiji |
20 | |||||||||
| South Africa |
37 | Bronze Final | ||||||||
| 7 October – Stade de France, St-Denis | ||||||||||
| Argentina |
13 | |||||||||
| Argentina |
19 | France |
10 | |||||||
| Scotland |
13 | Argentina |
34 | |||||||
| 19 October – Parc des Princes, Paris | ||||||||||
Quarter-finals -
| 7 October 2007 21:00 |
| Argentina |
19 – 13 | Scotland |
| Try: Longo Elía 33' c Con: F. Contepomi (1/1) Pen: F. Contepomi (3/4) 23', 29', 43' Drop: Hernández (1/4) 54' |
Report | Try: Cusiter 63' c Con: Paterson (1/1) Pen: Parks (1/2) 16' Paterson (1/1) 38' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 76,866 Referee: Joël Jutge (France) |
Semi-finals -
| 14 October 2007 21:00 |
| South Africa |
37 – 13 | Argentina |
| Tries: du Preez 7' c Habana (2) 32' c, 76' c Rossouw 40' c Con: Montgomery (4/4) Pen: Montgomery (3/3) 17', 71', 75' |
Report | Try: M. Contepomi 45' c Con: F. Contepomi (1/1) Pen: F. Contepomi (2/4) 15', 30' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 77,055 Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand) |
Bronze final games -
| 19 October 2007 21:00 |
| France |
10 – 34 | Argentina |
| Try: Poitrenaud 69' c Con: Beauxis (1/1) Pen: Élissalde (1/1) 18' |
Report | Tries: F. Contepomi (2) 28' c, 77' c Hasan Jalil 32' c Martín Aramburú 53' m Corleto 65' m Con: F. Contepomi (3/5) Pen: F. Contepomi (1/1) 21' |
| Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 45,958 Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand) |
Hosting
So far Argentina has not hosted any World Cup games, as no RWC has been held in the Americas yet.
References
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