England defeated Argentina 31-24 in Santiago del Estero, concluding their summer fixtures. The match, part of the Nations Championship 2026, featured numerous disciplinary incidents, including seven yellow cards issued across both teams.
The encounter saw England twice reduced to 13 players during the second half. Despite these challenges, England maintained their lead, securing a win that places them third in the Northern Hemisphere standings. This victory follows a previous 73-8 win against Fiji.
Discipline Concerns Highlighted
Former scrum-half Matt Dawson described England‘s discipline as “verging on comical” after four players received yellow cards in the second half. The yellow cards were issued to Jack van Poortvliet for a deliberate knock-on at 51 minutes, Alex Coles for a deliberate knock-on resulting in a penalty try at 55 minutes, Henry Pollock for offside at 74 minutes, and Emmanuel Iyogun for offside at 77 minutes.
Argentina also had three players sin-binned during the match. The hosts attempted to close a 14-point gap, but an 83rd-minute try by Bautista Delguy was disallowed after the television match official ruled that Henry Slade‘s tackle forced the wing into touch.
The disciplinary issues are not new for England, who have accumulated 14 yellow cards and one red card in eight matches during 2026. Only once in this period, against Fiji, have they avoided a sin-binning. This pattern of ill-discipline was also a factor in their fifth-place finish in the Six Nations.
England head coach Steve Borthwick acknowledged the team’s “incredible spirit” in securing the win, highlighting Henry Slade‘s late tackle as an example of the team’s fight. However, he sidestepped questions regarding the team’s discipline, suggesting it was not the appropriate time to discuss it.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored one of England‘s tries and was named man of the match, also commented on the issue, stating, “Discipline is a huge thing. I don’t know how many cards there were but too many. We can’t be having games where we finish with 13 [players].”
Match Dynamics and Post-Match Reactions
The game itself was a high-scoring affair with eight tries in total. England managed to score five tries despite having 37 percent possession. The match also featured a mass brawl early on and a penalty try awarded to Argentina.
The final five minutes of the game extended to 26 minutes of real time due to various stoppages, including a lengthy treatment for Benhard Janse van Rensburg and numerous resets. The disallowed try at the end added to the dramatic conclusion of the match.
Following the match, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi expressed his displeasure with England‘s post-match celebrations. He accused England of showing a “lack of respect” due to loud music and cheering from their changing room, eventually walking out of his press conference when the noise continued.
England will enter November’s Nations Championship fixtures in third place in the table, having secured back-to-back bonus point wins. Argentina currently sits fourth in the Southern Hemisphere standings.
The match was played at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, and the final score was England 31, Argentina 24.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Lucy Ashby is a Sports Reporter at NewsGB. She reported on the county circuit and Team GB. She focuses on tennis, cricket and athletics and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from Durham University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Durham, she plays club cricket and follows distance running. “The best sport reporting starts by listening.”
