Match Facts

Argentina have won each of their last eight men’s Test matches against Italy, including their most recent by a margin of 21 points, their biggest win against the Azzurri since a 30-point victory in November 2002 (36-6).

Italy will be playing a Test match at Stadio Friuli for just the second time, after facing South Africa at the venue in Udine back in 2009; Italy lost 32-10 with Bryan Habana, Jacque Fourie, Fourie Du Preez and Wynand Olivier crossing for the Springboks tries that day.

Italy’s last two victories against the Pumas both came away from home, with the Azzurri not beating Argentina on Italian soil so far this century – Italy won their first two home games against the Pumas, in 1978 and 1998, but have lost each of their nine such fixtures since then.

Italy have won three of their last four home games (L1), as many as they’d won in their previous 17 such fixtures; overall, Italy have lost just one of their last six Test matches (W4 D1) with their last two victories both coming by 20+ points.

Argentina finished third in The Rugby Championship this year, avoiding finishing last for the second year in a row, after managing that just twice overall in their previous 11 campaigns (2015, 2020); the Pumas recorded a victory against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the first time they’d beaten all three in a single campaign.

Argentina have gained an average of 515 metres per game in 2024, the highest such rate of any men’s Tier 1 side this year, while Italy have conceded the most metres per match of any team this year (483).

Italy (15.6) and Argentina (14.3) have made the most dominant tackles per game of any men’s Tier 1 Test sides in 2024, with Italy also completing the most tackles per match of any team this year (178).

Italy have won more turnovers per game than any other men’s Tier 1 side in 2024 (6.9), while only Japan (15.6) have conceded more turnovers per game than Argentina (15.4) among such teams this year.

Italy captain Michele Lamaro made 103 tackles during the 2024 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, at least 24 more than any other player and the most by any player in an edition of the Championship, surpassing Jonny Gray’s tally of 100 in 2018 – Lamaro made 22 tackles in his most recent Test for Italy, against Japan in July.

Argentina’s Juan Cruz Mallia made nine offloads in The Rugby Championship this year, more than any other player, while teammate Mateo Carreras ranked second for both metres gained (316) and defenders beaten (17, alongside three others) and made the most turnover-winning tackles of any back in the competition (3).