England Comeback Against Argentina and Takes the Series with Agonizing Try

England Defeats Argentina in an Exciting Match

In an encounter full of emotions, England defeated Argentina with a score of 22-17 at the Bicentenario Stadium in San Juan, securing the series with a 2-0 victory. The match, which kept spectators on the edge of their seats, saw Argentina leading 17-14 at halftime. The tension grew in the second half, with England exerting strong pressure in Argentina’s area. The scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet was the hero of the day, scoring a crucial try in the last minute of the game, sealing the victory for the English.

We found the way in the end. We had many opportunities in the 22 area, but we couldn’t cross the line, I’m proud of the boys.
George Ford

Seb Atkinson and Freddie Steward also contributed tries for England, who played without several of their usual figures, who are touring with the British & Irish Lions in Australia. Argentina, for its part, had tries from Lucio Cinti and Ignacio Mendy, but failed to maintain the lead and secure at least a draw. The Argentinian captain, Julian Montoya, expressed his disappointment:

We weren’t good enough, we have to be honest with ourselves. I’m sorry we couldn’t get the win, we committed too many penalties.
Julian Montoya

Despite the defeat, Argentina’s Pablo Matera celebrated his 111th appearance, becoming the player with the most matches played in the history of his country, although his achievement was marred by a yellow card in the second half. England started strong, with Atkinson scoring a try in the first four minutes thanks to a precise pass from Ford. The match also had key moments, such as the penalty against Ben Curry, which left England with 14 players temporarily. Argentina took advantage of this situation for Cinti to score a try. England demonstrated exceptional handling skills to score their second try, with Steward reaching the try zone. Argentina responded with a try from Mendy just before halftime, taking a 17-14 lead. Ford equalized the score in the second half with a penalty, the result of intense English pressure. England’s constant pressure finally paid off when Pepper broke through the defense and assisted Van Poortvliet, who secured the victory at the last gasp of the match.