England A host Argentina XV at Bath's Rec in first meeting since 2009

England A will host Argentina XV at The Recreation Ground in Bath on Friday, 6 November, with kick-off at 19:45 GMT — the first meeting between the two nations’ development sides since 2009 and only the third in history.

The fixture adds a notable early-season test to England’s November programme. England ‘A’ previously defeated Argentina ‘A’ 22-17 at Franklin’s Gardens in December 1996, then again 28-20 in the Churchill Cup in Colorado in June 2009. The two sides have not met since.

Argentina XV arrive having just lost their Americas Rugby Championship title to Chile at the weekend, giving the fixture an extra edge for the touring side. England A, meanwhile, carry strong recent form into the match: since being reintroduced in 2024, they have won five of six fixtures under head coach Mark Mapletoft, with their only defeat coming at this same venue — a 31-14 loss to the All Blacks XV 12 months ago. Mapletoft’s side have since recorded consecutive away wins over Spain and Ireland XV.

The programme has already demonstrated its value as a development bridge. Of the players who represented England A in the 2025/26 season, Noah Caluori, Emmanuel Iyogun and George Kloska all went on to earn senior men’s debuts for England this summer.

“Facing Argentina XV first up presents a brilliant challenge for our players and staff, and an opportunity to test ourselves against quality opposition from the very start of the season,” Mapletoft said. “There’s always a special sense of enjoyment and occasion when you run out under the Friday night lights, and fixtures like this are a fantastic platform for players to showcase their talent and pride in wearing an England shirt.”

Mapletoft also pointed to the growing depth available to him across the Gallagher Premiership and the wider England pathway. “The depth and quality across the England pathway and PREM Rugby continues to grow, so there’s real excitement about the squad we can select and the opportunity these matches provide for players to take another step forward in their England journey.”