The final whistle sounded on a warm evening in Santiago del Estero and England had done what they set out to do. They beat Argentina 31-24 in the Nations Championship, a result built on a dominant first half and then held together by sheer bloody-mindedness when everything threatened to unravel.
At half-time the visitors led 19-3. The scoreboard told only part of the story. Tommy Freeman had crossed, Ben Earl touched down twice, and there was a sense that the English pack had found its rhythm early. Marcus Smith and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso added further tries as the game opened up. Argentina, for their part, managed only a solitary penalty before the break. The contest looked settled.
What followed was anything but. The second half descended into a yellow-card lottery. Jack van Poortvliet, Alex Coles, Henry Pollock and Emmanuel Iyogun all spent time in the sin-bin. England finished the match with 13 men on the field. Discipline is a huge thing, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso said afterwards. I do not know how many cards there were but too many. We cannot be having games where we finish with 13.
Argentina scented blood. Mateo Carreras went over, a penalty try followed, and Piccardo added another. The home crowd found its voice. With the clock ticking down, Bautista Delguy appeared to have snatched a try that would have levelled or even won it. The TMO thought otherwise. The decision stood. England held on.
A test of character
That late denial, confirmed in the final minute, capped a contest that tested more than just skill. It asked questions about composure under pressure and the ability to stay connected when numerical disadvantage bites. England answered those questions with the kind of resilience that has defined their better days. They did not panic. They did not fold.
The result leaves them with two wins and one defeat after the first stage of this inaugural Nations Championship. There is satisfaction in the victory, yet the repeated trips to the sin-bin cannot be ignored. Feyi-Waboso's words carried the quiet authority of a man who had just lived through it. Too many cards. The message was clear.
