England have secured a series victory in Argentina with a 2-0 result, mirroring their successes in both 2017 and 2013.
Argentina: (17) 17
Tries: Cinti, Mendy Cons: Carreras 2 Pen: Carreras
England: (14) 22
Tries: Atkinson, Steward, Van Poortvliet Cons: Ford 2 Pen: Ford
Jack van Poortvliet’s late try clinched a dramatic victory for England in the second Test, sealing an impressive 2-0 series win against Argentina.
With the score tied at 17-17 for much of the second half in San Juan, England were on the verge of a series victory after their first Test win, but Van Poortvliet’s try ensured a clean sweep.
Seb Atkinson’s opening try, marking his first for England, and Freddie Steward’s second try in as many games highlighted a captivating first half.
After a lackluster performance a week prior, the hosts rallied in the second Test with tries from Lucio Cinti and Ignacio Mendy, along with a penalty from Santiago Carerras, giving them a narrow lead at halftime.
George Ford leveled the score after the interval with a penalty, leading to a tense battle as both teams sought the decisive score.
Despite Argentina’s limited threats to the England line, the visitors conceded multiple opportunities before Guy Pepper’s crucial break and offload allowed Van Poortvliet to score in the corner.
Although Ford missed the conversion, England secured their 10th Test win in Argentina by claiming the restart as the clock expired and kicking the ball into the stands.
This victory marks the sixth consecutive win for Steve Borthwick’s side, a streak that began in the second round of the Six Nations.
England will now travel to Washington to face the United States next Saturday (22:00 BST) in their final Test of the summer.
Scrum-half Van Poortvliet came off the bench to score England’s third try in San Juan
England’s preparations faced a late disruption as co-captain Jamie George was called up by the British and Irish Lions, becoming the 15th Englishman to join the squad.
George watched from the sidelines in San Juan before departing to join the Lions in Brisbane on Sunday, with Saracens teammate Theo Dan starting the Test and Curtis Langdon named on the bench.
Despite the late adjustment, the visitors continued their momentum from La Plata, displaying renewed fluidity in attack.
With Fin Smith and Marcus Smith both with the Lions, Ford delivered another controlled performance at fly-half, playing a key role in Atkinson’s opening try.
Ford, earning his 101st cap, initiated the play with a high kick that was safely returned, followed by a precise cross-field kick caught by Tom Roebuck. The ball was then passed inside to debutant center Luke Northmore, who offloaded to Atkinson for his first try in his second appearance.
The Pumas responded after Ben Curry was sin-binned, with scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz evading Tom Willis before passing to Cinti for the hosts’ opening try.
Another well-executed move led to Steward diving in at the corner, but Argentina responded when Carreras’ chip bounced off the post for Mendy to gather and score.
Argentina’s defense was resolute, but their attack lacked potency after the interval. Pablo Matera, surpassing Agustin Creevy as the Pumas’ most-capped player with his 111th appearance, was sin-binned for foul play at the breakdown.
England’s pressure finally paid off late in the game when Pepper, influential off the bench, made a break before feeding Van Poortvliet for the decisive try.
England fly-half George Ford commented: “We found a way to win in the end. We had many opportunities in the 22 but couldn’t quite score. I’m proud of the team’s fight and togetherness, showing how much we care.”
“There were some great moments, and we should have scored more tries, but the team’s attitude is fantastic.”
Argentina: Elizalde; Moroni, Cinti, Piccardo, Mendy; S Carreras, Cruz; Gallo, Montoya (capt), Kodela, Petti, Rubiolo, S Grondona, Gonzalez, Matera
Replacements: Bernasconi, Vivas, Delgado, Paulos, Isa, B Grondona, Moyano, Roger
Sin-bin: Matera (58)
England: Steward; Roebuck, Northmore, Atkinson, Muir; Ford (capt), Spencer; Baxter, Dan, Heyes, Ewels, Coles, B Curry, Underhill, T Willis
Replacements: Langdon, Rodd, Opoku-Fordjour, Cunningham-South, Pepper, Dombrandt, Van Poortvliet, Murley
Sin-bin: Curry (21)
Referee: Luc Ramos (Fra)
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