
Proud of the boys – George Ford hails England's attitude
Replacement scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet went over in the final minute with the score locked at 17-17 following Guy Pepper's brilliant blind-side break as England followed up last week's 35-12 win in La Plata in style.
Ford, who made his 101st Test appearance for England, said: 'We found a way in the end. We had a lot of opportunities in the 22, but couldn't get over the line.
'I'm proud of the boys. I like our fight, our togetherness, showing how much we care.
'There was some great stuff, we should have scored more tries but the attitude of the group is great.'
Both sides scored two tries in the first half, with Argentina twice hitting back through centre Lucio Cinti and wing Ignacio Mendy after touchdowns from England pair Seb Atkinson and Freddie Steward.
In a fast and furious encounter at the Bicentenary Stadium, Santiago Carreras' first-half penalty had edged Argentina into a 17-14 interval lead, with George Ford's penalty in the second period hauling England level before Van Poortvliet's thrilling late effort.
Argentina captain Julian Montoya said his side paid the price for their ill-discipline.
He said: 'We were not good enough, we have to be honest with ourselves. I am sorry we couldn't get the win, we gave away too many penalties.'
England forward Ben Curry was sent to the sin-bin for his high tackle on Pablo Matera in the 20th minute and Argentina made their advantage count as Cinti went over for their opening try.
Argentina were reduced to 14 men in the second half when number eight Matera received a yellow card just before the hour for killing the ball at a maul just yards from his try line.
Two tiring teams maintained their ferocious battle – almost entirely in Argentina's half – as the game headed into the final 10 minutes.
But with the clock ticking down, replacement flanker Pepper stole clear from a maul and after charging down the blind side he turned inside to send the supporting Van Poortvliet over for the decisive score.
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Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Steak is a breakfast food and 20 other things I learnt on England's tour of Argentina
After 16 days, two provinces and three cities, the Argentinian voyage comes to an end. An under-strength England have defeated Argentina in both Tests – in La Plata and San Juan – extending their unbeaten run over Los Pumas on their own patch since the 2009 loss in Salta. It was my first time in Argentina, a country famed for the passion of its people and the heartiness of its food and drink. Experiencing this country, as well as following England's movements – not to mention, success – in it, was a privilege. Here is what I learnt, both on and off the rugby field, from an unforgettable trip. 1. George Ford is England's best option at fly-half – that is not controversial A case can be made for all of them but I saw enough of Ford's influence on this tour, both in matches and at training, to know that England were not lacking for having three fly-halves with the Lions. Steve Borthwick has a real selection headache on the horizon come the autumn. It is not just at fly-half where Borthwick has positive quandaries, however, but in the back row, back three and, maybe, the front row, too. After the second Test victory, Borthwick said: 'You can see that we have a number of world-class flankers and we have got to have them in the team because of how much they add in terms of breakdown speed, how much they add in attack, so I think they have to be in the team.' 2. Lee Blackett is a brilliant coach He will one day either coach international rugby or return to becoming a truly great club head coach. He worked closely with Ford on this tour and England's attacking shape and strategy, even if the execution occasionally let them down, had the Pumas at sixes and sevens. In training, Blackett was influential and it should come as no surprise that he ended last season as a Premiership winner with Bath. 3. Blackett is also a very good padel player His partnering with Byron McGuigan, another coach temporarily seconded to England for this trip, was fearsome. The final score, when they took on the travelling media, is irrelevant. 4. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is a rocket A rusty one, albeit, but a rocket nonetheless. His strike-running during training was a class above, even if occasionally the skill level let him down. Admittedly, he has only played 34 minutes of rugby in 2025. 5. England's defence was immense in Argentina Joe El-Abd, heavily involved in last weekend's training session, deserves credit alongside McGuigan. 6. England's team spirit looked potent and impregnable Naturally, I was not in amongst it as some of the players and coaching staff, but after the second Test victory in San Juan, Borthwick spoke about how impressed he had been by it. The head coach stopped short of saying it was the best he had seen, but there was a suggestion: 'I want to bottle the spirit of La Plata, the spirit of San Juan, and take it with us wherever we go.' 7. Argentina's reputation for steak is deserved The cuts are all different, it is nearly mostly cooked over charcoal (asado) and, sometimes, they can be a little tougher than European steaks. But they were always juicy, the flavour always supreme. And, at my hotel in La Plata, the city in which England won the first Test, it was served at breakfast on weekends. And, yes, I did have it. The Malbec was as pleasant as everyone says, too. 'When in Rome' and all that... 8. Carlos Nieto's pub was almost worth the trip to La Plata alone La Plata's cathedral was opulent and magnificent, but there was not much going on in the city. Except steak, of course. And except La Rabieta, the pub owned by Nieto, the former Italy, Gloucester and Saracens prop. Although, don't foolishly get yourself in a round with him (as I did). It does not end well. 9. La Plata's pavements are death traps They all need re-laying. They must have laid waste to many an ankle in their time. 10. Driving nears total anarchy In both La Plata and San Juan, no one has any clue whose right of way it is; not drivers, nor pedestrians. There are very few road markings, even fewer give way signs. I lost count of the number of times I swore while walking about each city; I also lost count at the number of times taxi drivers laughed at me while I was swearing as their passenger. Buenos Aires, the capital, was slightly better, in that there was the occasional regulation pedestrian crossing. With that seemingly overrated invention (in Argentina, at least) of red and green men. 11. Tax is both baffling and seemingly optional Many places brazenly advertise discounts for both bank transfer and cash payments while one taxi driver told me that if I wanted an invoice I would have to pay a 15 per cent increased fare. There is an extremely cavalier attitude towards tax on goods, and yet when I paid on card for a solitary bottle of Diet Coke in a supermarket I had to input my passport number at the self-checkout. All very odd. 12. England are building World Cup-winning depth They are not there yet – and I am not saying that they are favourites (or even close) for the World Cup in 2027 as things stand, but they are tracking nicely. 13. Argentina adores rugby I arrived expecting football to be dominant here and rugby to be a minority sport. While football is by far and away the most popular, rugby is bigger than I was expecting, with a loyal, zealous fanbase. 14. Los Pumas need to find some props Desperately. England had the upper hand at the scrum in the first Test, Argentina then changed their props entirely for the second and the same outcome was achieved. For a nation with such a fearsome reputation for scrummaging, it was quite concerning. However, there are high hopes for their under-20s front row, who have impressed in the World Championships in Italy. 15. Tom Harrison loves scrums and loves talking about them Chatting to him about his scrum session was the most engaging and captivating I have seen him in an England media session. He was in his element. His front-rowers could not have done him prouder, either. 16. Lock remains an area of concern for England Charlie Ewels and Alex Coles did little wrong on the Argentina tour but Borthwick opted to go without out-and-out lock cover on the bench. Chandler Cunningham-South, covering second row, only featured for 20 minutes across the two Tests and there was no spot for Nick Isiekwe or Arthur Clark. Admittedly, Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum are with the Lions and George Martin is injured but England need to, at least, develop some locks with Test potential – and sharpish. 17. Freddie Steward remains a Test class full-back Steward has strengths and weaknesses but he proved that he still has what it takes at the highest level after becoming more of a fringe player over the past two years. After a season working with Peter Hewat at Leicester, Steward is moving the ball more freely and swiftly, too. 18. Five-three benches will become a thing of the past Borthwick may well revert to that for the match against the US on Sunday but the second Test in San Juan proved how much value the head coach places in a 6:2 bench split (he's only picked 6:2 benches all year). On Saturday that formation was preferred even with Ben Spencer covering fly-half, a position in which he never started a professional match. 19. England are likely to have a favourable World Cup draw Borthwick's side are currently ranked fifth in the world and need to be in the top six by the end of November. That now looks likely, given Australia and Argentina are in the hunt and face some of the best teams in the world before the deadline. 20. There was barely any Falklands-related hostility Even when I told people I was from England or London, nothing changed. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I was not expecting much, but the only reference to Las Malvinas which I either saw or heard on the whole trip was a solitary banner draped over some trees close to the stadium for the first Test. No one paid it much attention, either. Thankfully, that was it. 21. The Argentine population is hospitable and convivial England experienced it in the way that Club San Luis hosted them in La Plata – not just for training, but for an asado dinner, too – and I experienced it everywhere I went. They might be a fiery, rebellious people, but they also could never do enough to help. It is born out of pride for their country; they wanted me to see that pride. And I did. After Blackett and McGuigan had trounced all and sundry at padel, the manager of the courts was so embarrassed at not taking payment by card – not that he had any obligation to deign to our metropolitan ways – that he drove to my hotel a day later to gift me two bottles of local Malbec, to apologise for the payment inconvenience. Thanks for those, Jorge; they were delicious. And, in a wonderfully wacky way, your country is fabulous.


The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
Beth Mead lauds ‘unbelievable' Ella Toone as England progress at Euro 2025
England forward Beth Mead heaped praise on 'unbelievable' team-mate Ella Toone after she helped propel the defending champions into the Euro 2025 quarter-finals with a goal and two assists in their 6-1 victory over Wales in St Gallen. Georgia Stanway opened the scoring with a 13th-minute penalty before Toone found the top corner and then turned provider for Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo, who sent England into the break with a four-goal lead. Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones both got on the scoresheet in the second half, while Wales' consolation came from substitute Hannah Cain, a welcome parting gift for the passionate support who had travelled to Switzerland for their first major tournament. 'I think she was unbelievable,' said Mead, who also provided the assist for Beever-Jones. 'I think Tooney is really coming into her own and sometimes in, you know, situations where you feel a little bit low, it brings you to the top of your game and I have completely felt that and done that before, been in a tough place and come back and I think you can see that she's given that kind of aura, that type of energy and she deserves everything she's getting right now because she has worked really hard for it.' Mead and Toone have both lost parents since England lifted their first major trophy at their home Euros in 2022. Mead's mother, June, died from ovarian cancer in January 2023, while Toone lost her father, Nick, to prostate cancer last September. Toone pointed to the sky after scoring on Sunday night. Mead added: 'I think we've both said the first game we really struggled a little bit, you know you look to the stands for your person who is standing there and they're not there anymore. 'I think my mum was the first person I would look for in the stands. So I obviously understand what Ella felt in that moment. And it's special to be able to have that moment and think about them and dedicate to them.' England bounced back from a tournament-opening defeat to France to beat the Netherlands 4-0, but still finished runners-up in Group D after France claimed top spot with a 5-2 victory over the Dutch. That means England will return to Zurich's familiar Stadion Letzigrund on Thursday night, where they will face Sweden. 'I mean, it doesn't seem like it at the time, but (the France loss) was probably was the best thing that could have happened to us as a team,' added Mead. 'I think it motivated us. 'We had conversations, we figured things out that we maybe needed to. And I think, you don't win or lose a tournament in the first game. I think it's cliché to say it, but you don't and we're now in a position where we're building quite nicely and hopefully we can continue that momentum now we're into the quarter-finals.' England boss Sarina Wiegman agreed it looked like her side were enjoying themselves, adding: 'That's what it looks like! 'Really good. Six goals, I think what we wanted to do was dictate the game, and that is what we did, so that's really good to see, and the most important thing is that we are through, and out of this very hard group.'


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Cole Palmer and surprise Chelsea star receive top marks from L'Equipe after Blues' Club World Cup win - as French outlet savage PSG players, with FIVE given 2/10 ratings in humbling loss
Cole Palmer was recognised as the outstanding performer of the Club World Cup final by French outlet L'Equipe. But Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was an unlikely recipient of praise following his heroics in the surprise 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain. Blues boss Enzo Maresca masterminded a shock victory over the European champions on Sunday night and was equally as thankful for the contributions of two-goal Palmer as Sanchez, who produced a string of stunning saves. The notoriously harsh markers handed Palmer a 9/10 for his match-winning display, while fellow goalscorer Joao Pedro received a 7/10 after another impressive outing for his new club. The much maligned Sanchez, whose position as Chelsea's No 1 has been under threat ever since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2023, was awarded an 8/10 after making six saves and, according to the stats boffins, preventing 1.35 goals. Only Palmer bettered the grade, while right back Malo Gusto also received an 8/10 for his impressive martialling of PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Evidence of L'Equipe critical eye comes in their appraisal of the Parisians who endured an uncharacteristically off night which brought a sour end to historic campaign. Kvaratskhelia was one of five Paris players to be handed a 2/10 after an anonymous performance in which he managed just one shot, one successful dribble and won just two of his seven duels. Ousmane Dembele, Nuno Mendes, Lucas Beraldo and Joao Neves - who was sent off in the 85th minute for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair - were the other stars on the end of a hiding from the outlet. L'Equipe's average rating for the PSG squad was a measly 2.9/10, marginally lower than the grade for the boss Luis Enrique, whose frustration spilled over at the end of the match at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. The Spaniard appeared to strike Chelsea striker Pedro in the face during a heated post-match clash between both teams. Pedro was initially embroiled in a confrontation with Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi - with Andrey Santos also on the scene - before Enrique marched over towards the situation. But rather than defusing the situation, the Spanish manager made it physical, laying his hands on Pedro before being held back by his own player Presnel Kimpembe. Pedro fell to the floor in dramatic fashion, clutching at his face. Speaking on the incident, Enrique said: 'This was completely avoidable at the end, my goal was always to separate footballers, there was a lot of tension and pressure, there was a whole bunch of pushing that we should all try to avoid. My intention is to avoid it getting worse.' In victory, the Blues became the fifth club - and the first from England - to win multiple FIFA Club World Cup titles, joining Real Madrid (five), Barcelona (three), Bayern Munich (two), and Corinthians (two). The architect of the win, Maresca - who received a 9/10 from L'Equipe - said: 'I have no words for the players. They all deserve this and it's a good moment. 'For me, we won the game in the first 10 minutes. We set the tempo and we were very good at pressing them. The conditions made it hard to keep going but the boys did well. 'Of course I am very excited [about the future] but I'm more excited that we have three weeks off.'