World Rugby

France vs. Argentina Rugby Recap Of Autumn Nations Showdown

France vs. Argentina Rugby Recap Of Autumn Nations Showdown

After beating the All Blacks at the Autumn Nations, France and Antoine Dupont now face the upstarts Argentina Los Pumas. Follow the action live!

Nov 22, 2024 by Philip Bendon
Players Breakdown Antoine Dupont

France Rugby  looks to finish the 2024 international season strong with victory in the rubber match against one of the surprise teams of the year, the  Los Pumas of Argentina.

Argentina Rugby scored massive wins against No. 1 South Africa, No. 3 New Zealand and a historic blowout victory of Australia in the 2024 Rugby Championship. 

They also beat France in July, 33-25, a few months after losing to the French 45-24 in March. 

Argentina was just three points away from adding Ireland Rugby to its list of wins last week, but fell 22-19 in Ireland in its second Autumn Nations match. 

For France, the 2024 season has been an outlier for a club that entered the 2023 Rugby World Cup ranked No. 2 in the world. Armed with the almost unanimous No. 1 player in the world, Antoine Dupont, France has been a mainstay in the top 5 of the world rankings. 

But Dupont missed most of the Rugby 15 international season because he was busy helping the French Rugby 7 team win gold at the Paris Olympics in August. Since returning both to his professional club, Toulouse Rugby, and the national team, Dupont and his teams have been rolling. 

France beat New Zealand 30-29 on Nov. 16 and before that beat Japan 52-12 on Nov. 9. 

Follow the France vs. Argentina Los Pumas live by refreshing this page for the latest news, scores and updates.

FULL TIME! France Win! FRA 37 - ARG 23

Les Bleus were frighteningly good this evening, following up their win over the All Blacks last week. Star players Antoine Dupont, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and Charles Ollivon, to name a few, were to the fore. In the end, they were rarely challenged by a Los Pumas side that has had an incredibly impressive season and will feel they could've done better in the final two matches against Ireland and France. The Stade de France went rather flat in the second half with most of the damage done in the first half. Thank you for tuning in to our live blog of the action; stay tuned for more live updates from tomorrow's Autumn Nations Series action. FRA 37 - ARG 23.

NO TRY! France!

France looked to have finished with a flurry here through English-born replacement Emilien Gailleton put on a special move on the left-hand touchline only to be recalled for a slight knock-on earlier in the move.

Player Of The Match | Charles Ollivon

French backrow Charles Ollivon has been named player of the match following what was a superb showing from the 31-year-old Toulon star. Falling from grace somewhat over the past few years firstly losing his captaincy before facing a stiff challenge for a spot in the starting line-up. This performance confirmed just how impressive he remains despite all of the competition from younger talents in the same position.

Moment Of Magic Rewatch

TRY! Ignacio Ruiz | Min 69

Argentina get a second try from their front row! This time it is the replacement hooker Ruiz who gets underneath Charles Ollivon. With ten minutes to play, there was still a chance for Los Pumas, but in reality, Les Bleus looked comfortable. FRA 37 - ARG 23.

TRY! France! Louis Bielle-Biarrey | Min 58

Immediate strike back! France charged down Argentina through Charles Ollivon before the ball went wide to the magic man Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who left everyone dead as he dotted down for an incredible try! FRA 37 - ARG 16.

TRY! Argentina! Thomas Gallo | Min 55

Finally, the visitors have landed a shot, and it is their dynamic loosehead, Thomas Gallo, who burrows under two French defenders. This is the relentlessness that we have come to expect from Los Pumas... Can they dare to dream? You bet they can! FRA 30 - ARG 16.

Held-Up! Argentina's Best Chance!

Argentina drove over the French line for what was their best chance of the match so far, but they were held up!  Argentina are lighting up now with Gonzalez making an incredible break down the right-hand touchline before another costly mistake turns the ball over, and France clears their lines but only temporarily as Los Pumas launch another attack and earn a penalty. This is more like it from Felipe Contepomi's side!

Opportunity Lost!

Argentina launched a sensational counter-attack from a turnover on their own line and nearly made France pay, but a simple pass went to ground, and it is a French scrum.

Argentina Playing With Fire

Argentina really is fortunate not to have another yellow card with Antoine Dupont seemingly being upended off the ball. Despite launching a few promising maul attacks Los Pumas simply cannot get through the French defence. Instead, France is back on attack and threatening deep in Argentina's half.

Kick-Off! Albornoz Gets Us Underway

Argentina kick long to get things going, and Dupont returns fire with a decent box kick up towards halfway. Argentina are still down a player with Gonzalez still in the sin-bin. 

Half-Time Report

For Argentina, tonight's action has been all too similar to how they started against Ireland in Dublin. The difference this time, however, is that France has taken all of their chances and is now in a very strong position. Los Pumas will certainly believe they can fight back, given their track record of finishing matches strongly. The challenge for them will be the power which Les Bleus can call on from the bench. For France, fullback Leo Barre has been mesmerisingly good, whilst the halfback combination of Dupont and Ramos has ensured that France has played all of their rugby in the right areas. If Argentina are to do what appears to be impossible, it will be one of their greatest comebacks. FRA 30 - ARG 9.

PENALTY! Thomas Ramos | Min 40

Thomas Ramos strikes the ball sweetly to end a very positive half for his side on the perfect note. The penalty came from a late tackle on Antoine Dupont and was something Los Pumas really could've done without. FRA 30 - ARG 9.

PENALTY TRY! France | Min 35

Juan Martin Gonzalez is sent to the sin-bin for a cynical knock which batted the ball out of the on-charging Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who would almost certainly have scored the try! France is now in cruise control, and Argentina is once again down a player. FRA 27 - ARG 9.

TRY! Gabin Villiere | Min 32

France employs a pick'n'go approach for multiple phases before Dupont flings the ball out to Gabin Villiere. The try builds on a brilliant counterattack from Leo Barre, which earned France a penalty. They went to the corner and were denied but earned a scrum as Argentina knocked on. From here, they got over the top of Los Pumas, and Charles Ollivon sprinted away to set up the pick'n'go phases. FRA 20 - ARG 9.

PENALTY! Tomas Ramos | Min 24

Pablo Matera latches on and the French can't move him at the breakdown! He departs with a HIA for his troubles with World Rugby's new smart mouthguards flashing and signalling that he needs to depart. FRA 13 - ARG 9.

PENALTY! Thomas Ramos | Min 22

Ramos nails another penalty as Thomas Gallo crumbles under the pressure of scrummaging against Uini Antonio. Neither side is willing to chance their arm with shots to the corner and are instead taking every available point. FRA 13 - ARG 6.

PENALTY! Tomas Albornoz | Min 19

France is pinged for crawling through the ruck, which is pretty unnecessary, given they had driven Los Pumas off their ball. Albornoz makes no mistakes from directly in front. FRA 10 - ARG 6.

PENALTY! Thomas Ramos | Min 15

France immediately strike back as Julian Montoya concedes a breakdown penalty for not having his hands on the floor whilst attempting a turnover. FRA 10 - ARG 3. 

PENALTY! Tomas Albornoz | Min 13

Argentina are back in the contest with an easy penalty for Albornoz and they are back to fifteen men with Montoya back on the pitch. FRA 7 - ARG 3.

TRY! France! Thibaud Flament | Min 8

Superb set play from France bamboozles Los Pumas! Earning a line-out five meters out from Argentina's line, France go to the back with Antoine Dupont sprinting onto the ball before finding Yoram Moefana. The centre crashes the ball up before a quick recycle to Flament who clatters over the line. FRA 7 - ARG 0.

Gros Out - Wardi In

For the second week in a row, France is down a prop inside the opening ten minutes as Reda Wardi replaces Jean-Baptiste Gros. The incident, which was not quite the croc roll but did target the lower limb, saw Los Pumas captain Julian Montoya sent to the sin bin.

Stade de France ROCKING!

Referee Luke Pearce blasts his whistle, and Thomas Ramos gets underway here in Paris!

France vs Argentina: Autumn Nations Series Showdown

France will face Argentina this weekend in a highly anticipated Autumn Nations Series clash, with both teams eager to build on recent performances. Last week, Les Bleus delivered a thrilling 30-29 comeback victory over New Zealand, overcoming a 17-10 halftime deficit. Romain Buros, Paul Boudehent, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored tries, while Thomas Ramos contributed 15 points with the boot.

Despite conceding 63% possession and making 209 tackles, France stifled the All Blacks in the second half, allowing only four penalties. While not perfect, their resilience was a hallmark of a great team.

Argentina, ranked fifth in the world, have also impressed this year. Fresh from a dominant 50-18 win over Italy and a narrow 22-19 loss to Ireland, Los Pumas will be hungry for victory. Felipe Contepomi's squad has shown they can challenge rugby’s elite, setting the stage for a gripping contest in Paris.

Close Contests And Rankings Battles

Since 2000, France and Argentina’s matches have been tightly contested, with Argentina narrowly leading the series 10–9. Nine of those games were decided by seven points or fewer. When the world rankings debuted in 2003, France ranked fifth and Argentina seventh. Rankings have frequently shifted, with dramatic exchanges like Argentina climbing to fourth in 2009. France’s emphatic 49–10 win in 2012 helped them reclaim a higher rank after Argentina briefly overtook them earlier that year.

France vs. Argentina Rugby A Long-Term Rivalry

France and Argentina first clashed in rugby union in 1949, when France toured Argentina for a two-test series, winning both matches. It took 36 years and 16 encounters for Argentina to secure their first victory under legendary captain Hugo Porta in 1985. France played a pivotal role in the development of rugby in Argentina, with 13 matches between the teams between 1949 and 1977. The two nations have met 55 times today, with France winning 39 and Argentina 15.

Los Pumas Ready To Take Down Another Top 10 Team

Argentina has beaten New Zealand, South Africa and Australia this year and nearly beat Ireland last week. They are here in France looking for a win. 

Antoine Dupont Goes Out For The Coin Toss

Watch Argentina vs. France Rugby Highlights From July

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France Rugby Players Ranked In FloRugby Top 100

Here's the list of players from France in the FloRugby Top 100 Player Rankings. 

  • Antoine Dupont – Toulouse & France (No. 1) 
  • Damian Penaud – Bordeaux-Begles & France (No. 8)
  • Romain Ntamack – Toulouse & France (No. 23)
  • Gregory Alldritt – La Rochelle & France (No. 38)
  • Thomas Ramos – Toulouse & France (No. 41)
  • Cyril Baille – Toulouse & France (No. 49)
  • Louis Bielle-Biarrey – Bordeaux-Begles & France (No. 72)
  • Peato Mauvaka – Toulouse & France (No. 83)
  • Julian Marchand – Toulouse & France (No. 92)
  • Thibaud Flament – Toulouse & France (No. 98)
  • Charles Ollivon – Toulon & France (No. 100)

Every ranked French player is on a team that qualified for the Investec Champions Cup starting on Dec. 6 and streaming on FloRugby. 

Argentina Rugby Players Ranked In FloRugby Top 100

Here's the list of players from Argentina in the FloRugby Top 100 Player Rankings. 

  • Juan Cruz Mallia – Toulouse & Argentina (No. 17)
  • Pablo Matera – Mie Honda Heat & Argentina (No. 39)
  • Julian Montoya – Leicester Tigers & Argentina (No. 43)
  • Marcos Kremer – Clermont & Argentina (No. 87)

Three of the four Argentina players are on teams that qualified for the Investec Champions Cup starting on Dec. 6 and streaming on FloRugby. Pablo Matera plays for a club in Japan League One

France Vs. Argentina Rugby Match Could Be A Winter Wonderland

A snow warning is in effect for the Saint Denis area and snow has been coming down all week as teams prepared for the match. 

France Vs. Argentina Kicks Off Week 3 Of Rugby Autumn Nations Series 2024

France Vs. Argentina Rugby Kickoff Times

The match kicks off at 3:10 pm ET on Nov. 22 at Stade de France in Saint Denis.

France Rugby Lineup

  1. Jean-Baptiste Gros
  2. Peato Mauvaka
  3. Uini Atonio
  4. Thibaud Flament
  5. Emmanuel Meafou
  6. Francois Cros
  7. Paul Boudehent
  8. Charles Ollivon
  9. Antoine Dupont
  10. Thomas Ramos
  11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey
  12. Yoram Moefana
  13. Gael Fickou
  14. Gabin Villiere
  15. Leo Barre

Substitutes:  16. Julien Marchand, 17. Reda Wardi, 18. Georges-Henri Colombe, 19. Alexandre Roumat, 20. Mickael Guillard, 21. Marko Gazzotti, 22. Nolann Le Garrec, 23. Emilien Gailleton

Argentina Los Pumas Rugby Lineup

  1. Thomas Gallo
  2. Julian Montoya
  3. Joel Sclavi
  4. Guido Petti
  5. Pedro Rubiolo
  6. Pablo Matera
  7. Juan Martin Gonzalez
  8. Joaquin Oviedo
  9. Gonzalo Garcia
  10. Tomas Albornoz
  11. Bautista Delguy
  12. Matias Moroni
  13. Lucio Cinti
  14. Rodrigo Isgro
  15. Juan Cruz Mallia

Substitutes:  16. Ignacio Ruiz, 17. Ignacio Calles, 18. Francisco Gomez Kodela, 19. Franco Molina, 20. Marcos Kremer, 21. Lautaro Bazan Velez, 22. Santiago Carreras, 23. Mateo Carreras

Watch France vs. Argentina Rugby From July 13, 2024

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Watch France vs. Argentina Rugby From July 6, 2024

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France World Rugby Ranking

France is ranked No. 4 in the world with 88.08 points.

Argentina World Rugby Ranking

Argentina is ranked No. 5 in the world with 85.40 points.

World Rugby Rankings 2024

  1. South Africa , 92.78
  2. Ireland , 90.78
  3. New Zealand , 90.09
  4. France , 88.08
  5. Argentina , 85.40
  6. Scotland , 82.70
  7. England , 82.31
  8. Australia , 82.17
  9. Fiji , 80.07
  10. Italy , 78.92
  11. Wales , 74.01
  12. Georgia , 73.85
  13. Japan , 72.95
  14. Samoa , 72.68
  15. USA , 68.90
  16. Portugal , 68.82
  17. Spain , 67.10
  18. Uruguay , 65.94
  19. Tonga , 65.46
  20. Romania , 64.13

When Does The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup Begin? When Is The Champions Cup Final?

The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup begin Dec. 6, and the four-round pool-play action ends Jan. 19, 2025. The Round of 16 starts on April 4, while the quarterfinals are April 11-13. The semifinals are May 2-4. 

The EPCR Championships weekend is in Cardiff, Wales at Principality Stadium. There are championship games on May 23 (EPCR Challenge Cup) and May 24 (Investec Champions Cup). 

What Are The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Pools?

Here are the pools:

Investec Champions Cup: 

  • Toulouse (Stade Toulousain)
  • Bordeaux-Bègles (Bordeaux-Bègles Union)
  • Hollywoodbets Sharks
  • Exeter Chiefs
  • Leicester Tigers
  • Ulster Rugby

Pool 2:

  • Leinster Rugby
  • Clermont Auvergne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
  • La Rochelle (Rochelais Stadium)
  • Bristol Bears
  • Benetton Rugby
  • Bath Rugby

Pool 3:

  • Northampton Saints
  • Munster Rugby
  • Vodacom Bulls
  • Stade Français Paris
  • Saracens
  • Castres Olympic

Pool 4:

  • Glasgow Warriors
  • Racing 92
  • Sale Sharks
  • DHL Stormers
  • Toulon (RC Toulon)
  • Harlequins

EPCR Challenge Cup

Pool 1:

  • Cardiff Rugby
  • Connacht Rugby
  • Toyota Cheetahs
  • Perpignan (USAP)
  • Lyon Olympic University (Lyon OU)
  • Zebra Parma

Pool 2:

  • Montpellier Herault Rugby
  • Pau (Pau Section)
  • Newcastle Falcons
  • Dragons RFC
  • Emirates Lions
  • Ospreys

Pool 3:

  • RC Vannes
  • Black Lion
  • Bayonne (Bayonne Rowing)
  • Scarlets
  • Edinburgh Rugby
  • Gloucester Rugby

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

FloRugby and FloSports also are the US home to: 

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social