Ireland's home straight to World Cup starts with Pumas

Ireland’s Nations Championship run-in continues at Aviva Stadium on Friday night with a fixture that doubles as long-term preparation for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Argentina’s “Pumas” may be a familiar hurdle for the Irish, having never beaten Ireland in Dublin and winning all three of their World Cup meetings. Across 20 past encounters, Ireland have won 14, but the rivalry’s sting is tied to those World Cup results that helped trigger Ireland’s early exits. With Ireland’s first game of the 2027 tournament against Australia just under 11 months away, coach Andy Farrell said Ireland aren’t currently “good enough” to board the plane believing they’re 100% ready to lift the Webb Ellis trophy.