England vs Argentina Rugby match on ITV1 and ITVX

England's rugby team will face Argentina in Santiago del Estero on Saturday, July 18, 2026, in a decisive final match of the Nations Championship's summer phase. The fixture arrives just days after Argentina's football team defeated England in a FIFA World Cup semifinal, adding a layer of heightened rivalry to the sporting weekend.

Both sides enter the contest with identical records in the tournament's Southern Series, having each won one and lost one of their opening two matches. England, led by head coach Steve Borthwick, suffered a heavy opening defeat to world champions South Africa before rebounding with a 73-8 victory over Fiji last weekend. Argentina, under Felipe Contepomi, opened with a high-scoring loss to Scotland before overpowering Wales 35-21.

Borthwick has named an unchanged starting XV, retaining the half-back pairing of Fin Smith and Jack van Poortvliet, with Marcus Smith at fullback. The bench includes Henry Pollock, who scored a hat-trick against Fiji, and uncapped loosehead prop Emmanuel Iyogun. Argentina's lineup blends youth and experience, featuring centurion locks Guido Petti and Matias Alemanno, with playmaker Santiago Carreras at fullback.