England secured a tense 31-24 victory over Argentina in the Nations Championship on Saturday, surviving a nerve-jangling overtime period after a last-gasp try by Bautista Delguy was ruled out by the video referee. The win came three days after England's football team suffered a 2-1 World Cup semi-final collapse against the same opponents.
Early dominance and disciplinary woes
England started strongly, with Tommy Freeman scoring an early try after gathering Fin Smith's kick. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso proved a constant threat, breaking through Argentina's defence at will. Ben Earl added a second try following a turnover by Joe Heyes and a dominant scrum. However, England's discipline unravelled as they received four yellow cards — to Jack van Poortvliet, Alex Coles, Henry Pollock and Emmanuel Iyogun — forcing them to play nine minutes with 13 men. This brought their total to 14 yellow cards and one red in eight matches in 2026.
Argentina's fightback
Argentina responded after the break, with Mateo Carreras crashing over early in the second half. Van Poortvliet's yellow card for a deliberate knock-on compounded England's problems, and Coles joined him in the sin-bin for a similar offence near the line, leading to a penalty try awarded by referee Angus Gardner. Joaquin Oviedo's dangerous clear-out on Guy Pepper earned him a yellow card, giving England some respite.
Feyi-Waboso's decisive moment
Henry Pollock's arrival from the bench injected energy, and a carry by the flanker led to Marcus Smith crossing in the right corner. Feyi-Waboso then produced a stunning solo try in the 69th minute, sealing the win for England. "Immanuel was the most dangerous player on the field," said a team spokesperson. "His willingness to hunt for the ball was rewarded." Iyogun was later sent to the sin-bin, and Argentina had the final say through Justo Piccardo, but England held on.
Controversial finish
Three minutes into added time, the officials reviewed a potential try by Delguy in the right corner. Video referee Brett Cronan ruled out the score, citing a potential high tackle by Noah Caluori in the build-up, with Henry Slade's tackle stopping the try. The decision sparked outrage among the home fans and players, but England sealed a scrappy win, coming through the final nervy seconds that could have seen the Pumas snatch a draw.
