Contepomi highlights ‘interesting’ matchup in Argentina’s RWC pool

Los Pumas haven’t played the Flying Fijians in 20 years, but coach Felipe Contepomi insists they know how dangerous their Pool C rivals will be at Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. Spain and Canada round out the group, set to battle for spots in the round of 16.

Argentina won the last meeting between the sides on August 18, 2003. Los Pumas joined The Rugby Championship almost one decade later and have since emerged as a giant-slaying force in men’s international rugby.

In the 2025 Quilter Nations Series, Argentina defeated Wales 52-28 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium before an incredible comeback win against Scotland the following weekend. Their season came to a close with a close loss to England in London.

As the sixth-best team in men’s rugby according to World Rugby’s rankings, Los Pumas will be widely viewed as the early favourites top Pool C in two years’ time. But the Flying Fijians pose an ever-dangerous threat, as coach Contepomi acknowledged after the tournament draw.

Fiji have won the last two Pacific Nations Cup titles with triumphs over Japan, and came close to beating the Wallabies on Australian soil before the Lions Series. Spain and Canada present their own challenges as well, setting the stage for an intriguing World Cup pool.

“As I was saying during the November window, despite the draw, what is important is how you arrive as a team to October 2027. There’s still plenty of time for that, 22 months,” Contepomi told reporters.

“It’s interesting to play against Fiji, whom we haven’t faced many times in recent years, but we know the team they are and the surprises they often pull off in World Cups.

“Then there’s Spain, which has many Argentinians, adding an extra element, and Canada, a team that’s been improving.

“Planning doesn’t change at all. How we want to prepare and how we want to develop for the World Cup doesn’t change because of the opponent. We want to go as far as possible in the tournament and for that, we can’t speculate; we have to get there in the best possible shape,” he added.

“We need to focus on improving week by week, not on having one more or less point in the rankings. If you improve, there’s a greater chance of being higher in the rankings.

“You can’t control the draw, and there are many other variables that we can’t manage either, so we don’t put as much energy into it, but we do focus on what we can control.”

If Argentina successfully top their pool at the World Cup, they will take on the best third-placed team out of Pool A, E or F. That could see them take on the winner of Pool D in the quarter-finals, with Six Nations sides Ireland and Scotland headlining that pool.

If South Africa, New Zealand, France and Argentina top their pools, those other three teams will be on the other side of the World Cup bracket. But it’s all hypothetical discussion, with Contepomi looking at the 22 months leading up to the World Cup as “plenty of time” for development.

“Logic often doesn’t prevail in World Cups, so that doesn’t worry me too much. These are things you can’t control: the group, the play-off bracket,” Contepomi said.

“Now that we know which group we’re in and the possible path forward, the best thing is to analyse, plan, schedule, and study so we can give our best performance at the RWC.”