Ellis Genge cupped his ears in a cheeky celebration inspired by Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez after England's rugby team beat Argentina 33-31 in the inaugural Nations Championship on Saturday. The match, played at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, came just three days after Thomas Tuchel's England football side were eliminated by Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals.
Early dominance sets tone
England opened the scoring after only three minutes when Tommy Freeman crossed over. Ben Earl then added a pair of converted tries to extend the visitors' lead to 17-3. Argentina, wearing replica shirts inspired by Diego Maradona's iconic 1986 kit, fought back after the restart with Mateo Carreras' try and a penalty try that reduced England to 13 men.
However, Marcus Smith and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso touched down in quick succession to silence the home crowd. Justo Piccardo grabbed a late consolation for Argentina, but England held on for a hard-fought victory.
Genge's provocative celebration
Eagle-eyed viewers spotted Genge cupping his ears toward Argentina supporters after Earl's second try, mirroring Fernandez's trademark celebration after his equaliser in England's 2-1 football defeat on Wednesday. Fernandez is expected to use the same gesture in the World Cup final against Spain later on Saturday.
Before kick-off, England's Henry Pollock sparked controversy by making dismissive gestures from the team coach toward Argentina fans in Buenos Aires. The intense rivalry continued throughout the match, with Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi accusing England's players of 'lacking respect' before storming out of his post-match press conference.
Borthwick defends his squad
Under-pressure England boss Steve Borthwick hit back at what he called a 'negativity committee' after being questioned about his side's disciplinary issues. England received their 14th yellow card in eight Test matches during the game. 'I don't think now is the time to be digging into that,' Borthwick told reporters. 'This team has done really, really well. It was a tough Test match, a fantastic Test match, we scored some wonderful tries and as ever you guys concentrate on the negativity. You're like the negativity committee so it's lovely coming and talking to you again.'
Borthwick praised his players' 'togetherness' and 'connection', singling out Henry Slade's crucial tackle at the end. 'It shows the fight that's in this group of players, as well as their togetherness and connection,' he said. 'Right now these players deserve a fantastic holiday, a good night out and a good rest. They've worked hard and it's been a season that's been going a while.'
Table implications
The result leaves England third in the Northern Hemisphere table, two points adrift of leaders France after a gruelling summer schedule. Argentina sit fourth in the Southern Hemisphere table with one win and two losses.
