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ENGLAND maintain their 100 per cent record under head coach Eddie Jones with a battling victory over Argentina.
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Elliot Daly sent off for dangerous tackle early on but hosts rally to lead 16-7 at the break
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Tries from Facundo Isa and Santiago Cordero reduced the deficit to just two points
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Jonny May’s second-half try secured the win for England
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Enrique Pieretto was also sent off for Argentina late in the second half
England won their 12th successive Test of the year despite a red card for Elliot Daly early in the first half, defeating Argentina 27-14 at Twickenham on Saturday.
Daly was dismissed for taking out Leonardo Senatore in mid-air but a penalty try and three Owen Farrell penalties opened up a 16-0 lead.
Tries from Facundo Isa and Santiago Cordero cut the gap to two points.
A Jonny May score pulled England clear with Argentina’s Enrique Pieretto also sent off for a stamp on Joe Marler.
It started so well for England with Owen Farrell knocking over a penalty to open the scores after just three minutes.
However, things quickly turned sour for the hosts when just 80 seconds later Elliot Daly saw red for a dangerous tackle, meaning Eddie Jones’ men would have to play the rest of the game with a permanent sin-binning
Farrell extended England’s lead with another two kicks before the hosts went clear on the half hour when the referee awarded a penalty try after Matias Orlando deliberately knocked on.
The winger was deservedly yellow-carded before Farrell then knocked over the simple conversion to give England a 16-0 lead.
Things though got worse for England as Billy Vunipola limped off with a serious looking knee injury before Dan Cole was sin-binned for deliberately collapsing the scrum, meaning Jones’ men would end the first half and begin the second with just 13 men.
Argentina then, six minutes into overtime, breached England’s defence with No.8 Facundo Isa squeezing over to the left. Juan Martin Hernandez added the extras, 16-7.
England restarted with 13 men and conceded after 46 seconds as Santiago Cordero raced through after great hands in the backs. Hernandez converted again to reduce the deficit to just two points.
The visitors failed to kick on, however, and Farrell added two further penalties to give his side a 22-14 lead before Pablo Matera was yellow carded for deliberately collapsing a maul in the 66th minute.
Although Farrell failed to convert the resulting penalty, Jonny May rounded off a superb move shortly afterwards which meant England had the game sewn up by the 68th minute.
Although there was no further points scored, the drama did not end there as five minutes before full-time, Argentina’s Enrique Pieretto was also red carded for stamping on Joe Marler, who was yellow carded after he held on to Pieretto’s leg in an off-the-ball incident.
England: Chris Robshaw
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Jonny May, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Tom Wood, 6 Chris Robshaw, 5 George Kruis, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Teimana Harrison,, 21 Danny Care, 22 Ben Te’o, 23 Henry Slade
Argentina: 15 Joaquín Tuculet, 14 Matías Orlando, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Santiago González Iglesias, 11 Santiago Cordero, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Leonardo Senatore, 7 Javier Ortega Desio, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Matías Alemanno, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Agustín Creevy (c), 1 Lucas Noguera
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Santiago García Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Facundo Isa, 20 Tomas Lezana, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Jerónimo De la Fuente, 23 Juan Pablo Estelles
