England Test Match: Red Roses aiming for Los Pumas series sweep in San Juan
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Borthwick’s England braced for battle at Estadio Bicentenario
England arrive in San Juan looking to record their sixth straight victory in Test matches, and you can find all the relevant information and stats for this box-office matchup in our Argentina vs England prediction.
Steve Borthwick’s side will enter the match with their tails up after a stunning performance in La Plata last week, where George Ford produced a masterclass performance to lead his side to a 35-12 victory on his 100th cap for his country.
Aside from Ford’s heroics, a brace by Sale Sharks’ Tom Roeback either side of a Freddie Steward dot down and a late try by Cadan Murley earned the Red Roses the win and ensured they will not suffer their first-ever series defeat to Los Pumas.
While the visitors' attack was exceptional, their defence also deserves plenty of credit, as they showed incredible grit and determination to withstand the hosts' power, and forced them into numerous unforced errors each time they breached the 22.
Perhaps what made the victory all the more impressive is that England are without as many as 13 key players for this summer’s Tests, with the likes of Maro Itoje and Marcus Smith, among several others, currently touring Australia with the British & Irish Lions.
Owing to the absence of so many key personnel, England were installed as underdogs ahead of the series, and despite the margin of victory last week, they are showing up as the outsiders again this weekend, according to the best online betting sites.
England have now won their last three matches against Argentina, including the third-place matchup at the 2023 World Cup, while the overall head-to-head standings see the Red Roses lead 22-5, with one match ending in a draw.
Argentina out to make amends after La Plata beating
Off the back of an incredible 2024 and a stunning start to 2025, Los Pumas once again showed why you never really know what to expect from them when they slumped to defeat in La Plata last week, completely against the Argentina vs England Betting odds.
Last week, Argentina were nowhere close to the team that beat all of New Zealand, Australia, and world champions South Africa at the Rugby Championship and recorded a historic 28-24 victory over the British & Irish Lions just a week earlier.
Felipe Contempomi’s side conceded a total of 12 handling errors in the first Test and were awful during the first half, failing to manage a single point by the halftime interval before Pablo Matera, on his 109th cap for the nation, crossed the whitewash in the 50th minute.
Bristol Bears lock Pedro Rubiolo managed to help reduce the deficit with a second try, and Santiago Carreras stuck over a conversion to spark hopes of a comeback, but the Red Roses held firm to notch up their 11th win in 12 against the South American side.
If Argentina are to turn the tables on their opponents this week, Carreras, who is set to join Gallagher Premiership champions Bath next season, will need to step up as the team’s chief playmaker, while also needing to ensure that he keeps the scoreboard ticking over.
Much will also come down to the host's ability to dominate the forward exchanges, and the addition of star front-rower Thomas Gallo, who caught the eye after coming off the bench last week, could certainly aid their cause, especially if he can produce a few of those barnstorming runs he’s become famous for.
Key information:
Date and Time: Saturday, July 12 at 19:40 (GMT)
Venue: Estadio Bicentenario, San Juan
Referee: Lucas Ramos
How to watch: Sky Sports. You can also follow along live using our Argentina vs England livescore tool.
