England survive late Argentina fightback with 31-24 win

Argentina 21-34 England, Santiago del Estero

England ended their July tour with a tense 31-24 win over Argentina in a chaotic Nations Championship match at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero.

Steve Borthwick’s side built a 16-point half-time lead through an early Tommy Freeman try and two scores from Ben Earl. But Argentina fought back strongly after the break, and England had to survive several yellow cards and a dramatic late TMO call before sealing victory.

Freeman And Earl Put England In Control

England made a sharp start and struck inside four minutes. Fin Smith sent a precise cross-field kick to Freeman, who finished on the wing for the opening try.

Argentina responded with pressure of their own after England were penalised from the restart, but the visitors held firm. England then stretched their lead midway through the half when Immanuel Feyi-Waboso cut through the Argentina defence and offloaded to Earl, who finished the move.

Tomas Albornoz kicked a penalty to get Argentina on the scoreboard, but England replied immediately. From a five-metre scrum, England’s pack drove strongly and Earl scored his second try, giving the visitors a 16-point lead at half-time.

Argentina Roar Back After Break

Argentina began the second half with much greater energy. Mateo Carreras forced his way over within three minutes of the restart to cut the deficit to 10-19.

England’s discipline then became a major problem. Jack van Poortvliet was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on before Alex Coles also received a yellow card for denying a try-scoring chance. Argentina were awarded a penalty try, reducing England’s lead to just two points.

Momentum shifted again when Joaquin Oviedo was shown a yellow card for a dangerous clear-out on Guy Pepper. England used the opportunity to regain control, with Marcus Smith scoring in the corner before Feyi-Waboso produced a superb solo finish to stretch the lead again.

TMO Call Saves England Late

Argentina refused to fade. England were reduced again when Henry Pollock and debutant Emmanuel Iyogun were both sent to the sin bin, leaving them to finish the match with 13 players.

Justo Piccardo scored in the 80th minute to bring Argentina within a converted try. The hosts then thought they had completed a stunning comeback when Bautista Delguy crossed in the corner with the clock deep in the red.

But after a lengthy TMO review, Delguy was ruled to have been in touch before grounding the ball. That decision confirmed England’s 31-24 win and gave them a dramatic second victory of the Nations Championship.