The Rugby World Cup is rapidly reaching its conclusion, with just two semi-finals and a bronze final left before a world champion is crowned.

Advertisement

The first of the semi-finals will see Argentina take on New Zealand.

Argentina reached this stage by fighting back against Wales in the quarter-finals, scoring two tries in the last 12 minutes to send the Welsh packing with a score of 29-17.

They were underdogs against Wales and will be an even greater long-shot when they take on the All Blacks in only their third semi-final.

New Zealand, who were slight underdogs themselves, bested Ireland in one of the great Rugby World Cup games.

They held them off for 37 phases in the game’s closing stage in a momentous defensive effort to claim a 28-24 victory over the world’s No.1 side. Many predicted Ireland would finally make a semi-final, but the All Blacks’ defensive effort won them the tie.

Argentina head coach Michael Cheika was calm and content with his side’s label as underdogs before their quarter-final, and will presumably lean even further into that given all the pressure will be on the Kiwis in this semi-final.

He’s also been outspoken on the preparation time afforded to his side, as they were denied travel from Marseille to Paris on Sunday, saying that the Paris-based semi-finalists were being favoured.

RadioTimes.com brings you a round-up of Argentina and New Zealand's most recent past meetings.

Argentina v New Zealand past meetings

Ian Foster certainly won’t take Los Pumas lightly given they’ve performed well to reached this stage of the tournament, and have beaten New Zealand twice in the past three years.

The two sides last met in this year’s Rugby Championship, which was shortened due to the World Cup - meaning teams only faced each other once. That match, played in Argentina, saw the All Blacks beat Los Pumas 41-12.

Argentina have only won twice in their 36 meetings. The first came in late 2020 in Sydney, when they stunned the ABs 25-15, even leading by 19-3 at one point.

The second came last year, when they stunned the ABs on home soil, beating them 25-18 in Christchurch. They played again twice soon after, both resulting in thrashings by the Kiwis.

The 2020 test was followed by a 38-0 win, and last year’s preceded a 53-3 hammering.

They’ve met three times in the World Cup, with New Zealand winning all three tests - the latest of which came at the 2015 tournament at Wembley.

Argentina v New Zealand H2H record

Last five meetings:

  • Argentina 12-41 New Zealand (Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza. 8/7/23)
  • New Zealand 53-3 Argentina (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton. 3/9/22)
  • New Zealand 18-25 Argentina (Rugby League Park, Christchurch. 27/08/22)
  • New Zealand 36-13 Argentina (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. 18/09/21)
  • Argentina 0-39 New Zealand (Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast. 11/09/21)

Overall record: Argentina wins = 2 | New Zealand wins = 33 | Draws = 1

If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.

Advertisement

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special issue of Radio Times. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement