Argentina stun England to win 30-29 at Twickenham in Autumn Nations Series
Argentina picked up their first win at Twickenham since 2006
©INPHO/Billy Stickland
There was sheer South American delight at Twickenham Stadium as Michael Cheika’s Argentina went to London and stunned England in order to beat their hosts 30-29.
It is the first time that an Argentina side has won at Twickenham since 2006, their goal-kicking wing Emiliano Boffelli and flyhalf, Santiago Carreras, contributing hugely to the historic result.
When Santiago Carreras got the game underway, Twickenham Stadium was beneath a deluge of rainfall. It took a toll in the opening exchanges, each side resolving to kick-chase and seeing if their opposition would make the first error.
As the rain began to clear, it was Argentina who would register the first points of the afternoon. It wasn’t as if Eddie Jones’ side didn’t have chances, kicking the ball to the corner at one stage but failed to get the maul working and a tap and go from a scrum penalty was duly turned over by Los Pumas.
Michael Cheika’s side would weather that storm, Emiliano Boffelli kicking a penalty after England debutant Alex Coles had strayed offside. Mere moments later, Julian Montoya would drift from the defensive line, making way for England captain Owen Farrell to level things up.
Boffelli would put his team ahead in the half for the final time as England went offside once more, but it would be the home team that got the first try of the game.
It was 115kg wing Joe Cokanasiga that got over the line for his 12th try in an England jersey, a strong scrum the foundation for the 13-cap man to strike from as Billy Vunipola and then Ben Youngs fed the ball inside for the Bath man to crash over, Farrell adding the extras.
Argentina would respond from the resulting kick-off, Montoya forcing England to hold-on at the ruck to allow Edinburgh’s Boffelli to carry on his perfect record from the tee. To make it six penalty goals for the half, England would kick twice, the second sending the two teams down the tunnel for a breath.
It was in the second-half that this game truly burst into life. Argentina scored two stunning back-to-back tries that left England with no real response.
To begin a lineout move was the architect of the score, Montoya passed the ball as it was brought back down to earth from his throw, Gonzalo Bertranou threading the ball to Matias Moroni, who flipped it on to Carreras, the Gloucester back ultimately finding Boffelli to slide over in the corner.
It was England misfortune that led to Argentina’s second. A loose ball from Farrell in midfield was scooped up by Carreras who went raced over from near the halfway line. Andrew Brace did look at the when the ball went loose and if Thomas Gallo did knock the ball on, but no offence was found.
On the hunt for a spark, England looked to Jack van Poortvliet. The Leicester Tigers scrum-half replaced his clubmate Ben Youngs. Hardly having spent a minute on the field, the 21-year-old saw wide open space to the side of a ruck, pinned his ears back and scored to drag England back into the contest.
With plenty of desire on both sides, things would calm down on the scoring front. Space became harder to find, the only room for taking the game by the scruff of the neck coming as a result of opposition error.
Farrell would kick a penalty as a result of a Gallo clear out in which the prop decided to use no arms, Boffelli knocked one over after a late Luke Cowan-Dickie hit on Eduardo Bello, Farrell again as Los Pumas went offside again and Boffelli handed his team the lead with less than 10 minutes to go when England went off their feet at the ruck.
That final kick from the wing was the final nail in the coffin. Eyebrows raised when Argentina would kick for the corner with four minutes left, Maro Itoje turning the ball over, but any hopes of an England turnaround was put to bed when Henry Slade knocked-on in midfield, Bertranov kicking the ball to touch from the resulting scrum to hand his nation victory.
England starting XV: Freddie Steward; Jack Nowell (VC), Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (C), Joe Cokanasiga; Marcus Smith, Ben Youngs; Ellis Genge (VC), Luke Cowan-Dickie, Kyle Sinckler, Alex Coles, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Jack Singleton, Mako Vunipola, Joe Heyes, David Ribbans, Sam Simmonds, Jack Willis, Jack van Poortvliet, Henry Slade
Argentina starting XV: Juan Cruz Mallia; Mateo Carreras, Matias Moroni, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Emiliano Boffelli; Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya (Captain), Francisco Gomez Kodela, Matias Alemanno, Tomas Lavanini, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera
Replacements: Ignacio Ruiz, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Eduardo Bello, Lucas Paulos, Facundo Isa, Eliseo Morales, Tomas Albornoz, Matias Orlando
