Information checked: November 11, 2026, 12:53 p.m. in Genoa, Italy — Central European Time (CET, UTC+01:00); 11:53 a.m. UTC.
Italy will host Argentina at Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 12:40 p.m. CET (UTC+01:00), equivalent to 11:40 a.m. UTC. The Nations Championship meeting has become a test of squad depth for both sides after heavy defeats in the previous round. Argentina captain Julián Montoya remains a selection concern following a head injury, while Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada faces a lengthy injury list.
Neither team has played this fixture yet, and no final score exists as of this update. The official match center lists the date, venue and match officials but does not yet display confirmed starting lineups. Fans should treat pre-match squad lists separately from the 23 players eventually named to play. The kickoff and venue are confirmed by both Italian Rugby Federation fixture notice and World Rugby match center.
Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa, Italy, stages this round-five meeting of the 2026 Nations Championship. Italy's clocks switched back from daylight saving time in October, so Genoa observes CET (UTC+01:00) on November 14, not summer time. Argentina observes Argentina Time (ART, UTC-03:00) on the match date.
| Location or time standard | Saturday, November 14 kickoff |
|---|---|
| Genoa, Italy — CET (UTC+01:00) | 12:40 p.m. |
| Coordinated Universal Time — UTC | 11:40 a.m. |
| Argentina — ART (UTC-03:00) | 8:40 a.m. |
The Argentine Rugby Union squad and schedule announcement independently gives the Italian and Argentine kickoff times. World Rugby lists Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli, with Karl Dickson and Morné Ferreira as assistant referees, Olly Hodges as television match official and Ian Tempest as foul-play review officer; see the World Rugby referee appointments.
Quesada's expanded preparation group contains prop Marco Riccioni alongside familiar options including Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Federico Ruzza, Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Allan, Ange Capuozzo and Monty Ioane. Riccioni's return offers extra front-row cover, but a call-up is not confirmation of a place in the starting XV.
Italy's most significant absences include captain Michele Lamaro, centers Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello, back-row player Sebastian Negri and winger Louis Lynagh. Their unavailability affects both defensive organization and the balance of the back line. Other players in the wider group, including Domingo Miotti and Mattia Midena, are candidates for selection rather than confirmed matchday participants. Quesada must decide how to combine experienced playmakers with less-established combinations following the defeat to South Africa.
Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi faces a separate disruption. Captain and hooker Julián Montoya left the Ireland match with a head injury and could miss Italy while the appropriate concussion return-to-play process is followed. The November 10 Reuters report dated November 10 also states that fullback Juan Cruz Mallía sustained a knee sprain, with Tobías Wade joining as cover. Hookers Bautista Bernasconi and Facundo Bosch were added as options, and prop Matías Medrano came in for Rodrigo Martínez.
Argentina's original touring selection featured forwards Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera and Pedro Rubiolo, plus backs Tomás Albornoz, Mateo Carreras and Santiago Chocobares. The Argentine Rugby Union squad and schedule announcement makes clear that the roster could be adjusted from week to week. A final selection, particularly at hooker and fullback, will be a more reliable guide to Argentina's game plan than the initial touring list.
Italy conceded 66 points in a 66–7 home loss to reigning world champions South Africa in Turin on Saturday, November 7. That result followed defeats in all three of Italy's July Nations Championship fixtures. The central challenge for Quesada's side is to retain possession and prevent defensive breaks while dealing with unavailable starters.
Argentina lost 42–12 to Ireland in Dublin on Friday, November 6. The Argentine Rugby Union match report confirms the score and the departure of Montoya during the match. Ireland's scoring bursts exposed gaps Argentina will want to close before visiting Genoa. Both teams therefore enter this contest seeking a response, rather than defending a winning run.
According to the latest available World Rugby pool standings after four completed rounds, Italy is sixth in the northern pool with zero competition points from four defeats. Argentina is fourth in the southern pool with seven points from one victory and three losses. Their positions are independent because the two sides compete in different hemisphere tables.
| Team | Pool | Played | Won–Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | Northern Hemisphere, sixth | 4 | 0–4 | 0 |
| Argentina | Southern Hemisphere, fourth | 4 | 1–3 | 7 |
The match matters because the tournament's six rounds determine cross-hemisphere placement games at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, from November 27 through November 29. Teams ranked first in each hemisphere meet in the championship match, while matching positions down to sixth also play each other. The Six Nations Rugby competition format explanation explains how the finals contribute to the Hemisphere Shield competition. The Genoa game does not itself award the overall title, and its result alone cannot determine either team's eventual finals opponent.
Italy's best route to a more competitive performance may depend on reliable scrummaging, secure lineouts and disciplined exits from its own half. If Paolo Garbisi controls territory and the Italian back three receives usable possession, the home side could create more opportunities than it did against South Africa. Those are tactical possibilities, not assurances about the result.
For Argentina, the immediate questions are how the pack functions if Montoya is unavailable and whether new personnel can maintain continuity at the back. Quick ruck ball and effective support lines could stretch Italy's reconfigured midfield, but Argentina must also limit handling mistakes and penalties. Starting selections and weather conditions may affect those plans; neither can be assumed in advance.
Italy will face Fiji in Udine on Saturday, November 21, while Argentina travels to play France in Paris the same day. Both then move to the November 27–29 finals weekend in London, with opponents determined by final pool rankings. Match updates, confirmed team sheets, live scoring and the eventual result should be checked through the World Rugby match center, rather than inferred from the pre-match information here.
Kickoff is 12:40 p.m. CET (UTC+01:00) in Genoa on Saturday, November 14, equivalent to 11:40 a.m. UTC and 8:40 a.m. ART (UTC-03:00) in Argentina.
Not in the official World Rugby match center checked for this update. Wider squads are known, but final starting XVs and replacement benches should be verified closer to kickoff.
There is no result yet. The match is scheduled for November 14, three days after this article's November 11 information check.
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