Argentina will host New Zealand at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba in the opening round of this year’s Rugby Championship, aiming to launch their campaign with a statement victory. We’ll assess this clash from a betting perspective and highlight a few suggested plays.
Argentina
Los Pumas began their 2025 season in style with a superb victory over the British & Irish Lions in Dublin two months ago. They then faced England in a two-Test home series, losing both encounters, before bouncing back with a commanding 52-17 win over Uruguay in their most recent outing. In last year’s Rugby Championship, Argentina recorded wins against all three opponents but ultimately finished third on the table.
Argentina XV
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Bautista Delguy, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo García, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Julián Montoya (captain), 1 Mayco Vivas.
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Juan Martín González, 21 Simón Benítez Cruz, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Justo Piccardo.
New Zealand
The All Blacks head into this clash fresh from a 3-0 series sweep over France. However, the French travelled without their strongest lineup and still pushed New Zealand hard in two of the three Tests. The final match finished 29-19 in favour of the hosts. In last year’s Rugby Championship, New Zealand secured second place with three wins and three losses, edging Argentina on the table thanks to two additional bonus points.
New Zealand XV
All Blacks: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Fabian Holland, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Damian McKenzie.
Head-to-head
New Zealand have dominated recent meetings, winning four of the last five encounters. Argentina’s sole victory in that span came in 2024, when they stunned the All Blacks on the road. Their most recent clash saw New Zealand run out convincing 42-10 winners.
Betting and Verdict – click here to bet
New Zealand are favourites at 1.36, Argentina are trading at 3.80, and the draw is currently priced at 26.00.
Although Argentina opened their 2025 campaign in style with a memorable win over the British & Irish Lions in Dublin, they followed it up with two disappointing defeats to an understrength England side. In contrast, New Zealand arrive with momentum after sweeping France 3-0, and with their recent dominance in this fixture, I expect the All Blacks to record a convincing victory this weekend.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, New Zealand [-7.5] at 1.95.
New Zealand and Argentina are both sides that favour an expansive, running style of rugby. Each boasts a wealth of talent in the back three, and regardless of the final team selections, they have players capable of breaking the game open early. For that reason, I expect the first try to come from one of these back-three stars.
Suggested Bet: First Try number 11, 14 or 15 at 2.50
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
