England secure Nations Championship victory over Argentina in Santiago del Estero
England defeated Argentina 31-24 in Santiago del Estero in a match that featured eight tries and seven yellow cards. The victory concludes England’s Southern Hemisphere series on a positive note, despite concerns raised about their disciplinary record. This result places England in third position in the Nations Championship standings as they prepare for November’s fixtures, extending their winning streak to two matches with consecutive bonus point wins. Argentina currently holds fourth place in the Southern Hemisphere standings.
The match saw four England players receive yellow cards in the second half, leading to periods where England played with 13 men, including in the final three minutes. Argentina also had three players yellow-carded during the game. A controversial moment occurred in the 83rd minute when a try by Bautista Delguy was disallowed after the television match official (TMO) ruled that Henry Slade’s tackle had forced the Argentina wing into touch, denying the hosts a chance to level the score.
Discipline Concerns Highlighted
Former scrum-half Matt Dawson described England’s discipline as “verging on comical” following the match. England has accumulated 14 yellow cards and one red card across eight matches in 2026, with only one instance against Fiji where they avoided a sin-binning. This pattern of ill-discipline was identified as a significant factor in their four-match losing streak, which resulted in a fifth-place finish in the Six Nations and scrutiny over head coach Steve Borthwick’s position.
Borthwick, however, defended his team’s performance, focusing on their “incredible spirit” and the “fight” demonstrated by the players. He highlighted Slade’s crucial tackle at the end of the game as an example of the team’s resolve. Despite the disciplinary issues, Borthwick believes the team has shown “definite progress” since the Six Nations.
The four England players who received yellow cards in the second half were Jack van Poortvliet for a deliberate knock-on in the 51st minute, Alex Coles for another deliberate knock-on in the 55th minute which led to a penalty try for Argentina, Henry Pollock for offside in the 74th minute, and Emmanuel Iyogun for offside in the 77th minute. Earlier in the Nations Championship opener against South Africa, Tommy Freeman and Guy Pepper were also sin-binned.
Post-Match Reactions and Rivalry
The match was a dramatic affair, with Ben Earl scoring a first-half brace and Tommy Freeman adding an early score for England. Despite Argentina’s Mateo Carreras and a penalty try bringing them back into contention, Marcus Smith responded for England. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s try appeared to secure the win, but Justo Piccardo’s score set up a tense finish.
In the aftermath of the game, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi accused England of a “lack of respect.” Contepomi expressed his displeasure with the celebratory music and cheering emanating from England’s changing room, eventually walking out of his post-match press conference when the noise continued.
England’s victory follows their 73-8 win over Fiji, ending a series of five defeats. The team’s current standing in the Nations Championship table is third, with Argentina in fourth in the Southern Hemisphere standings.
The match was marked by continuous shifts in momentum, particularly in a second half that extended to 63 minutes. England conceded 14 penalties compared to Argentina’s six, bringing their total to 34 penalties conceded in three Nations Championship matches. This disciplinary trend is a point of concern for the team as they look ahead to future competitions.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”
