Henry Pollock at centre of drama as Argentina head coach storms out over England celebrations
Rugby NewsSunday, 19 July 2026 at 12:05
Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi dramatically stormed out of his post-match press conference after accusing England of showing a "lack of respect" following the Pumas' heartbreaking 31-24 defeat in Santiago del Estero.
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The former Argentina fly-half became increasingly frustrated by loud music and celebrations coming from England's dressing room next door as Steve Borthwick's side marked a perfect July tour.
A video later shared by England Rugby showed Henry Pollock at the centre of the celebrations, singing loudly with teammates while holding a beer and dancing bare-chested as music blared from the dressing room.
Contepomi asked an England representative in the media room to have the noise turned down, but after just four minutes he lost patience. Standing up from his seat, he declared, "I'm leaving because of the lack of respect," before abruptly ending the press conference and walking out without taking any further questions.
The dramatic exit capped an ill-tempered evening that had already seen seven players sent to the sin bin, heated confrontations with referee Angus Gardner and a hugely controversial finish.
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EDITORS PICKS:
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England player ratings vs Argentina:
15. Marcus Smith — 7
He had a relatively quiet start but took his opportunities well when called upon, producing a strong tackle on Mateo Carreras and finishing smartly in the corner for the bonus-point try.
Smith was tested by Tomás Albornoz, who managed to bump him off, and was again moved back to scrum-half for the second time in as many weeks.
The decision not to shift him to fly-half during Fin Smith's HIA was perhaps telling of where he currently stands in Steve Borthwick's plans.
14. Tommy Freeman — 7
Freeman was reliable and effective throughout, showing excellent awareness to finish off Fin Smith's cross-field kick for the opening try.
The Northampton Saints winger provided plenty of value through his work-rate, combining strong carries, a smart kick chase and a well-placed touchline kick to build pressure.
Although opportunities were limited, he made the most of his touches and continued to offer a dangerous attacking outlet.
13. Henry Slade — 7
The experienced Exeter Chiefs centre's combination with Seb Atkinson in midfield looked promising, while he also adapted well when moving to fly-half during Fin Smith's HIA.
His highlight came defensively, producing a huge tackle on Tomás Albornoz to halt a dangerous attack.
12. Seb Atkinson — 7
Atkinson produced a composed and effective display, showing sharp hands, strong breakdown work and good distribution to help create attacking opportunities.
His direct style and consistency stood out, with the 24-year-old making a strong case to retain the No.12 jersey.
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso — 9
Was it Immanuel Feyi-Waboso playing in Santiago del Estero, or prime Julian Savea? It was a standout display from the Exeter Chiefs winger, whose explosive running and powerful carrying caused problems throughout.
He made a series of dangerous breaks, including a superb effort that set up Ben Earl, while his defensive work was equally impressive with a crucial tackle out wide.
He capped a brilliant performance by bursting through for a deserved try.
Feyi Waboso surely wins it for England!
Lovely solo run from the winger, and England, with ten minutes to go, are in prime position to see this out ?#NationsChampionship pic.twitter.com/kwm8Eq3WJs
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) July 18, 2026
10. Fin Smith — 8
Smith has now firmly established himself as England's first-choice No.10, with his composure and decision-making leaving little doubt over his place in the side.
He once again showed his quality with a perfectly weighted kick to Tommy Freeman to create the opening try, continuing a partnership that has become a key attacking weapon.
Despite an unlucky knock-on with the try-line at his mercy, Smith remained composed, returning from a mouthguard-related HIA to land a huge touchline conversion under pressure.
9. Jack van Poortvliet — 8
Van Poortvliet impressed with a more balanced performance, relying less on his kicking game and making a strong impact around the breakdown. He went close from short range, produced a sharp pick-and-go and made a crucial tackle to stop a try.
His afternoon was disrupted by the first yellow card of his Test career for an intentional knock-on before leaving the field after 71 minutes, having appeared to take a heavy blow off the ball shortly beforehand.
He was generally quicker than he has been in recent weeks, which came as a pleasant surprise.
1. Ellis Genge — 7
Genge enjoyed a strong afternoon at the scrum, getting the better of young tighthead Tomás Rapetti for long spells and helping lay the platform for Ben Earl's third try.
Around the field, he also made an impact with a powerful break through several tackles, although his aggression occasionally crossed the line as he conceded a scrum penalty through over-eagerness.
His work was done just before the 50-minute mark.
2. Jamie George — 7
George came off early in the second half after making 15 tackles.
He put in a solid defensive shift, showed good leadership through his communication with the referee and captained the side well before being substituted.
SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA - JULY 18: Jamie George of England speaks to the media in a post match press interview after the 2026 Nations Championship match between Argentina and England at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades on July 18, 2026 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. (Photo by Nations Championship/Getty Images)
3. Joe Heyes — 7
Back in the country where he reignited his Test career last year, Leicester Tigers prop Joe Heyes was busy in defence, making 24 tackles.
However, his afternoon was blemished by a scrum penalty and a handful of infringements around the 50-minute mark while England were under pressure.
SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA - JULY 18: Joe Heyes of England is tackled by Gonzalo Garcia of Argentina during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Argentina and England at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades on July 18, 2026 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. (Photo by Nations Championship/Getty Images)
4. Alex Coles — 8
Despite conceding a costly penalty try for deliberately knocking the ball from Tomás Albornoz's grasp, Alex Coles produced a tireless defensive performance.
He recovered from an early missed tackle on Mateo Carreras to finish with a game-high 34 tackles, underlining an outstanding work-rate across the full 80 minutes.
5. George Martin — 7
George Martin continued his encouraging return to Test rugby with another solid display.
He made his presence felt in defence with a string of tackles, including forcing a crucial knock-on close to England's line, and contributed with ball in hand, although he was penalised for collapsing a maul.
His afternoon ended after 67 minutes when he left the field with a cut to the head, having made 23 tackles.
6. Ollie Chessum — 7
Although he gave away an early penalty after being accused of sparking a flashpoint and later missed a tackle on Mateo Carreras, Chessum made a key contribution at the lineout.
His superb steal under intense pressure handed Argentina their first lost lineout of the Nations Championship and highlighted his value at the set-piece.
7. Guy Pepper — 7
Pepper produced another industrious display, finishing with 23 tackles.
It was the kind of performance that may not grab the headlines, but his relentless work-rate and contribution in the unseen areas proved invaluable throughout.
8. Ben Earl — 8
Saracens' Ben Earl recovered from an early knock-on to produce another influential display.
He crossed for two well-taken tries, the first showing his power from close range and the second coming from a five-metre scrum.
After a quiet start, Earl grew into the game with a series of strong carries, finishing with a team-high 11 carries before being replaced after 55 minutes.
SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA - JULY 18: Ben Earl of England runs with the ball while under pressure from Marcos Kremer of Argentina during the 2026 Nations Championship match between Argentina and England at Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades on July 18, 2026 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. (Photo by Nations Championship/Getty Images)
Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie — 7
17. Emmanuel Iyogun — 5
Came on after 49 minutes for his Test debut but was shown a yellow card late on.
18. George Kloska — 6
A late addition to the matchday squad following Asher Opoku-Fordjour's injury, Kloska came on after 67 minutes and slotted into the scrum without fuss.
19. Tom Curry — 6
20. Henry Pollock — 5
Entering the game with England under pressure, Pollock initially helped swing the momentum back in his side's favour and played a part in the resurgence.
However, after 73 minutes he was shown the third yellow card of his short Test career, raising further questions about his discipline. It was not the ideal follow-up to last week's hat-trick heroics.
21. Ben Spencer — N/A
22. Benhard Janse van Rensburg — N/A
Hopefully he is okay after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury late on.
23. Noah Caluori — N/A
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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