England's 13 men thwarted a late Argentina comeback in a controversial finale, securing a 31-24 victory in the Nations Championship. The visitors ran in five tries, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Marcus Smith scoring crucial second-half scores, while a TMO review denied Argentina a late try that would have leveled the match.
England's early dominance
England started strongly, with two tries inside the first 23 minutes. Fin Smith's cross-kick set up Tommy Freeman's score, and Ben Earl added a second after a powerful run from Feyi-Waboso. Earl later scored again from a dominant scrum, giving England a 19-3 halftime lead.
Second-half drama and yellow cards
Argentina fought back after the break, with Mateo Carreras scoring early in the second half. England's discipline crumbled as Jack van Poortvliet, Alex Coles, Henry Pollock, and debutant Manny Iyogun were all sent to the sin-bin, leaving England with 13 men at one point. A penalty try reduced the lead to 19-17.
Key moments in the final quarter
Marcus Smith finished a long pass from Van Poortvliet to score in the corner, and Feyi-Waboso added a brilliant try cutting a gorgeous angle to extend the lead. Argentina's Justo Piccardo scored in the 79th minute, but a last-gasp tackle from Henry Slade on Bautista Delguy and a TMO review disallowed what would have been a match-tying try.
Impact and reaction
England's win moves them to third in the tournament standings. Head coach Steve Borthwick praised his team's spirit: “I’m delighted for the players, they showed incredible spirit. Henry Slade’s effort there was incredible. People question them a lot but the togetherness and connection of the players was exceptional.” Argentina's coach Felipe Contepomi cut short his press conference, citing a lack of respect from England's celebratory music.
