In the Plaza Libertad, hundreds of indigenous South Americans filed past England’s team hotel on Saturday morning for La Marcha de los Bombos. They blasted on ox horns and beat drums made from hollowed tree trunks in celebration of their ancestors.
Lose here and the jungle drums back at Twickenham would have been deafening for Steve Borthwick. They will continue to beat quietly into the autumn. This campaign has not been defiant enough to silence Borthwick’s many critics.
Jack van Poortvliet, Alex Coles, Henry Pollock, Emmanuel Iyogun were all sin-binned in the second half as England took their tally to 14 cards in 10 Tests. They have developed a reputation as one of the most ill-disciplined teams in Test rugby.
Two wins from three was the requirement for Borthwick to keep his job and his players desperately held on to keep the knives at bay. There was spirit in their final stand – down to 12-men at one point so they could form a scrum – and they celebrated with joyous relief by blasting out Sam Fender in the changing room.
If they are going to take on the world’s biggest hitters – of which Argentina are not one – then Borthwick must find a way to stop his team from buckling under pressure. They were saved by an agonisingly long frame-by-frame review in the final play, when Bautista Delguy’s try was overruled for being in touch. The hosts were furious, aghast that Noah Caluori was not penalised for a high tackle as England’s 13-men escaped.
On the sidelines, England’s players collapsed to the floor in relief at the final whistle. Their spirit has been battered in recent months. This tour has taken them to many corners of the world – three continents in three weekends. They have travelled 27,000 miles on 10 different flights and yet it feels like they have not moved too far forward.
England’s Marcus Smith scores despite the efforts of Argentina’s Santiago Carreras
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was England’s game-breaker. Without their jet-heeled winger, England would probably have lost this match
It will be a tricky debrief for RFU CEO Bill Sweeney, who has been travelling through Argentina with the team. In many ways, his destiny feels intertwined with Borthwick’s. His tenure has already been smeared by three clubs going bust, failed governance reform, bonus scandals and terminating Eddie Jones’s contract. Replacing Borthwick would leave his own future in doubt.
Before kick-off, the stadium DJ blasted La Cuarta Estrella on the sound system. It is the song that the Argentinian football team have been playing all week. For Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last. The Pumas even wore jerseys based upon the kit worn when Diego Maradona scored his Hand of God goal against England in 1986.
At one stage, this felt like this was going in a similar direction to Wednesday night’s World Cup semi-final. Borthwick’s side stormed to a 19-3 lead in the first-half but they ended with a fight to save their summer. They ended as a team who could not wait for the final whistle. They remain well behind South Africa and France.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was England’s game-breaker. Without their jet-heeled winger, England would probably have lost this match. He was the first player to demand the ball and made nine carries in the first half. England made the worst possible start against South Africa two weeks ago but here they hit the right notes in the first quarter.
A no-arms tackle by Marcos Kremer gifted England an early advantage and it took just four minutes to break the deadlock. Ollie Chessum conceded a penalty for antagonising Argentina during the celebrations but the English defence buckled up. Feyi-Waboso made a key tackle, Seb Atkinson forced a turnover and Marcus Smith dislodged the ball from the grasp of Mateo Carreras.
Feyi-Waboso’s England career has been riddled by injuries but here he reminded everyone of his world-class potential. His upper body strength got him out of tackles and his speed allowed him to burst clear, setting up Ben Earl to score the second try.
There was a purpose to England’s attack but, frustratingly, their search for a complete performance continues. They displayed a blueprint by offloading from the floor and keeping the ball alive in the first phase. Santi Carreras gave his team a foothold in the game with a penalty but England’s dominant scrum allowed Earl to score his second from a pushover try.
But in the second half, Argentina began to win the collisions. England slipped off tackles and their defence was stretched. When they came under pressure, England’s discipline collapsed.
In the second half, Argentina began to win the collisions and England’s discipline collapsed
England’s wing Tommy Freeman scores after a lovely Fin Smith kick
Travel fatigue is a factor by this stage of the tour. The flight demands have been gruelling for England, who were thrown around by turbulence on their latest leg up from Buenos Aires. The logistics should be reviewed in future demands, although this was an opponent that England were expected to beat with ease.
Matteo Carreras scored from a pick and go early in the second half. Jack van Poortvliet slapped a pass down in desperation for the first yellow card, before Alex Coles swiped at an offload to concede a penalty try. Suddenly England had lost control.
Argentina suffered their own batch of yellow cards, reduced to 13-men when Santi Carreras tried to slap down the assisting pass for Marcus Smith’s try. Waboso’s score looked to have sealed the win but England folded once more.
Pollock and Iyogun were both sin-binned for running offside in the late defensive stand. Justo Picardo scored to set up a grandstand finale. Benhard Janse van Rensburg knocked himself out in the tackle, showing a defensive commitment that means the debate and uncertainty around England’s best midfield will rumble into the autumn.
Delguy thought he had scored a try to snatch a draw, but Henry Slade’s last-gasp tackle was judged to have brushed him into touch, potentially saving Borthwick’s job in the process.
