Munster play host to the Argentina XV at Thomond Park in Limerick on Saturday. The fixture is an opportunity for both teams; Munster’s players take-on a next-of-XV from a country that is no stranger to the Irish public and the tourists look to beat a famous professional team.
The contest falls outside of the international player release though this affects the Argentina XV not Munster as there is no United Rugby Championship (URC) this weekend. For Munster the missing players a combination of (a) players in the Ireland roster currently in Chicago to face New Zealand and (b) injured players.
(4) – Gavin Coombes, Mike Haley, Jack O’Donoghue, Fineen Wycherley
(3) – Nicolás D’Amorim, Santiago Pernas, Faustino Sánchez Valarolo
– Thaakir Abrahams, Conor Bartley, Diarmuid Barron, Edwin Edogbo, Brian Gleeson, John Hodnett, Oli Jager, Alex Kendellen, Calvin Nash, Niall Scannell, Andrew Smith.
– The team is the official next-of-XV but has been selected with the intention of developing players.
MOSSY LAWLER (ASSISTANT COACH)
“It’s something to just get really excited about. I know the history goes back to, I suppose it all started with beating the All Blacks and beating Australia. You have the South African game in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and teams are keen to come and experience that Thomond Park atmosphere and the crowd really buy into it and we buy into it and it’s just really exciting.”
ÁLVARO GALINDO (HEAD COACH)
“The team is very eager to play, to represent the country and for all of them to put in a great end to the year. Many things come together here, boys who were in franchises throughout 2023, in Los Pumas, Pumas 7’s, Los Pumitas and in different teams. Here we all have the same objective which is to place Argentina at the highest level and play a great game against Munster, a team with so much history.”
- Thomond Park has never played host to Ireland vs Argentina in test matches. All Irish home games vs Argentina have been in Dublin. The first was in 1973.
- Jack O’Donoghue captain’s a Munster team with eleven changes from that which defeated Connacht 17-15 in the United Rugby Championship (URC) last Saturday.
- Academy player Ronan Foxe earns his first start for Munster.
- Second-rower Conor Ryan makes his first start for Munster and Evan O’Connell his first of the season.
- Thirteen of starting Argentina XV players played in Super Rugby Americas 2025. The two who did not played Sevens for Los Pumas 7’s. They are Alejo Sugasti and Tobias Wade.
- Notably, no players outside of the Pumas roster for November were drafted in to be given a chance for the Argentina XV. This is different to the 2022 tour wherein many Pumas faced Georgia and Portugal in Europe.
- All of the Argentina XV players are being monitored for possible call-ups to Los Pumas. Three were capped earlier this year against Uruguay.
- The match will be the first between Munster and the Argentina XV. Prior Argentina XV matches against Irish opposition have been against Emerging Ireland and Ireland XV.
- The match is the third of four for the Argentina XV in 2025. The prior results were wins over Brazil and Romania. The final fixture will be against the Bristol Bears on Friday, November 07.
- The contest will be officiated by Australian Angus Gardner. The other official team members are Irish.
With no prior history between the teams and no activity outside of South America for the Argentina XV, this is not a contest full of comparative dimensions. The weather is projected to provide friendly playing conditions. Due to being the next-of-XV and having comfortably beaten Romania mid-year, the Argentina XV enter as favorites.
MUNSTER
1 Josh Wycherley, 2 Lee Barron, 3 Ronan Foxe, 4 Conor Ryan, 5 Evan O’Connell, 6 Jack O’Donoghue (capt.), 7 Ruadhán Quinn, 8 Gavin Coombes, 9 Paddy Patterson, 10 Tony Butler, 11 Shay McCarthy, 12 Seán O’Brien, 13 Fionn Gibbons, 14 Diarmund Kilgallen, 15 Mike Haley
Replacements: 16 Max Clein, 17 Mark Donnelly, 18 Kieran Ryan, 19 Fineen Wicherley, 20 Luke Murphy, 21 Jake O’Riordan, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Ben O’Connor
ARGENTINA XV
1 Matías Medrano, 2 Leonel Oviedo, 3 Francisco Moreno, 4 Lautaro Simes, 5 Federico Albrisi, 6 Nicolás D’Amorim, 7 Aitor Bildosola, 8 Juan Cruz Pérez Rachel (capt.), 9 Alejo Sugasti, 10 Julián Hernández, 11 Mateo Soler, 12 Faustino Sánchez Valarolo, 13 Leonardo Gea Salim, 14 Santiago Pernas, 15 Tobias Wade
Replacements: 16 Juan Manuel Vivas, 17 Diego Correa, 18 Octavio Filippa, 19 Lorenzo Colidio, 20 Juan Pedro Bernasconi, 21 Estanislao Presto, 22 Bautista Farisé, 23 Agustín Fraga
Date: Saturday, November 01
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick (Ireland)
Kickoff: 5pm (Local); 2pm (Argentina)
Weather Forecast: Partly Sunny; 11°C; wind S (21 km/h)
Broadcasts: Access Munster (for €10)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Peter Martin (Ireland); Jack MacNeice (Ireland)
TMO: Mark Patton (Ireland)
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