England overcome four yellow cards to secure tense Nations Championship win against Argentina
England secured a hard-fought Nations Championship victory over Argentina in Santiago del Estero, despite receiving four yellow cards during the match. The 31-24 win saw England withstand a late comeback attempt from the Pumas, who were also reduced to 13 men at one point.
The match, described as chaotic and ill-tempered, concluded a demanding season for England’s players. The win marks their second in the inaugural Nations Championship, placing them third in the Northern Hemisphere standings after the summer series of games.
First-half dominance and early scores
England started strongly, with Tommy Freeman scoring an early try within four minutes from a cross-field kick by Fin Smith. This was followed by a double from Ben Earl, who scored after a powerful run and offload from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, and then again from a dominant scrum.
Argentina’s Mateo Carreras received a yellow card for a high challenge on Freeman, further strengthening England’s position. By half-time, England had established a significant lead, with a 16-point advantage.
The home crowd, which had given England a hostile reception, was initially silenced by the visitors’ performance. Argentina’s players wore replica shirts commemorating their 1986 World Cup victory, and fans displayed Falklands-themed banners.
Second-half drama and disciplinary issues
The second half saw a resurgence from Argentina, who quickly narrowed the deficit. Carreras scored within three minutes of the restart, and a penalty try was awarded to Argentina after Alex Coles was sin-binned for denying a try-scoring opportunity, joining Jack van Poortvliet, who had been sent off for a deliberate knock-on.
England’s disciplinary issues continued, with Henry Pollock and debutant Emmanuel Iyogun also receiving yellow cards. This meant England had to navigate parts of the second half with 13 men on the field.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Marcus Smith scored in the corner, followed by a solo try from Feyi-Waboso. These scores appeared to secure England’s lead, but Argentina continued to press.
In the 79th minute, Justo Piccardo scored for Argentina, bringing them within a converted try of a draw. The Pumas then looked to have secured an unlikely draw when Bautista Delguy crossed the line in the final moments of the match.
However, a dramatic TMO intervention ruled Delguy to be in touch, denying Argentina the equalising score and confirming England’s victory. Henry Slade also made a crucial last-gasp tackle on Delguy to prevent a try earlier.
England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, praised his team’s spirit, particularly highlighting Slade’s effort. Player of the match, Feyi-Waboso, acknowledged the team’s poor discipline but expressed satisfaction with securing the win.
The match concluded a challenging tour for England, which included a defeat in Johannesburg and a significant win against Fiji in Liverpool.
The victory came at a cost, with centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg forced off injured. Argentina’s head coach, Felipe Contepomi, reportedly cut short his post-match press conference due to the celebratory noise from England’s dressing room.
England’s total yellow cards in their last 10 Tests now stand at 14. The final score in Santiago del Estero was Argentina 24, England 31.
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Source: theguardian.com
