England face their first summer Test tonight as they take on Argentina in La Plata. Head coach Steve Borthwick is without around 12 of his stars due to the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, but that means opportunities for others to impress.
Borthwich has named an experimental young England squad, who will not have it all their own way in Buenos Aires against an Argentina side who beat the Lions last month, and last year recorded wins over South Africa, New Zealand, France and the Wallabies. George Ford remains as captain, having led the team in the defeat to a France XV side in June, and earns his 100th cap tonight.
There are senior international debuts for Seb Atkinson and Will Muir, while Guy Pepper will also earn his first cap off the bench. Immanuel Feyi-Wabos is with the squad but will not feature in the Argentina double-header due to suspension. Sam Underhill, though, back after a ban of his own. Follow all the action below with Standard Sport's dedicated blog!
Full-time!
22:36 , Alex Young81min: What a night for England! That is some statement to start this mini-Test series.
Argentina 12-35 England
22:34 , Alex Young79min: Argentina pushing as ‘Swing Low’ comes from the away end.
ENGLAND TRY!
22:30 , Alex Young75min: Murley adds a fourth for England! What a night in La Plata!
Argentina 12-28 England
22:28 , Alex Young72min: England win the lineout but the subsequent maul collapses in favour of Argentina, about five metres out.
Argentina 12-28 England
22:27 , Alex Young71min: England win the penalty but opt to go for touch rather than goal.
ENGLAND PENALTY!
22:24 , Alex Young69min: Ford makes it and England now have a 16-point lead!
Argentina 12-25 England
22:23 , Alex Young69min: Isgro is penalised, but no yellow card for the no-arms tackle on George.
Ford can go for goal again....
Argentina 12-25 England
22:21 , Alex Young68min: Hmm, a bit of concern for England as George goes down and stays down. Takes a lot for that to happen.
ENGLAND PENALTY!
22:18 , Alex Young65min: England needed that. Ford converts from 10 metre after Piccardo is penalised.
Argentina 12-22 England
22:14 , Alex Young63min: More England changes.
Willis and Underhill make way for Dombrandt and debutant Pepper.
ARGENTINA TRY!
22:12 , Alex Young61min: Is there time for an Argentina comeback! I’d say so!
A sweeping move is finished off by Rubiolo after being found by Cruz.
England’s lead cut to 10.
Argentina 5-22 England
22:09 , Alex Young57min: Had to do a double-check then as Gallo burst through and almost reaches the England 22. Even he didn’t look like he quite knew where we was.
Argentin work it wide, but knock the ball on.
Argentina 5-22 England
22:07 , Alex Young56min: Changes for England.
Baxter, Heyes and Spencer are off, Rodd, Opoku-Fordjour and Van Poortvliet are on.
ARGENTINA TRY!
22:02 , Alex Young53min: Lifeline for the hosts as Matera dots down after a neat offload inside.
TMO has a look but it’s all clear.
Argentina 0-22 England
21:59 , Alex Young51min: Ewels needs to be replaced after dislocating his finger, so Cunningham-South is on.
Argentina 0-22 England
21:58 , Alex Young50min: England are cruising. From a fantastic rearguard display in the first half, to a blistering attacking show in the second.
ENGLAND TRY!
21:56 , Alex Young49min: Roebuck with his second and this is becoming a real night to remember for England!
ENGLAND TRY!
21:54 , Alex Young46min: This is remarkable! England are taking control as Ford sends Steward diving through the gap.
This time Ford does convert.
Argentina 0-8 England
21:53 , Alex Young45min: England win the penalty after a great shove in the scrum. Ford sends it into the corner and the tourists are back in a great position to add to their tally.
Argentina 0-8 England
21:49 , Alex Young43min: Conversion missed.
ENGLAND TRY!
21:49 , Alex Young42min: Unbelievable start from England!
Their second real attack of the game, and Roebuck dots down after a brilliant square pass from Steward.
Second half
21:48 , Alex Young41min: Back underway,
Here come the players for the second half.
You must assume that Argentina will improve after the break. Can England keep this defensive performance up? They have shown little in the way of attacking verve.
The Pumas will wonder how they are not winning, let alone trailing and without a point to their name.
Half-time!
21:32 , Alex Young41min: And there’s the break!
Argentina 0-3 England
21:31 , Alex Young40min: Half-time approaches as Ford goes for a drop goal from the halfway line... and misses.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:28 , Alex Young37min: Loud groans from the home fans as Isgro tries to find Matera but his pass is all wrong and the ball rolls into touch.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:27 , Alex Young36min: Here comes Argentina again, into the England 22, looking dangerous... but a combination of Baxter and Heyes forces a knock on and the move breaks down.
Argentina frustrations grow.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:24 , Alex Young34min: Fantastic England from the England defence as the ball is deemed out at a ruck and Argentina blow another chance.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:24 , Alex Young33min: Isgro almost breaks through but the England defence continues to stand tall. Argentina are pushing hard.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:22 , Alex Young32min: Atkinson is back on. We’re back to 15 vs 15.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:19 , Alex Young29min: For the first time in the game, England build momentum and drive into the Argentina 22.
They come down the left but a Roebuck knock-on end the move around six yards out.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:18 , Alex Young27min: An Argentine knock-on leads to an England scrum, which they win and celebrate loudly.
England’s ill-discipline is not helping their cause, but Argentina just not able to capitalise yet.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:15 , Alex Young26min: Coles is back on, England back up to 14 players.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:13 , Alex Young23min: Argentina need to make their two-man advantage count, but are held up once again just a yard out from the line after Piccardo is brought down.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:10 , Alex Young22min: Oh, now Atkinson is sin-binned for being offside!
England down to 13 for the next four minutes.
Argentina 0-3 England
21:10 , Alex Young21min: Even better news for England as Coles’ yellow card will not be upgraded. He’ll be back on in five minutes.
ENGLAND DROP GOAL!
21:09 , Alex Young21min: What Carreras can’t do... Ford finds the posts with a drop goal and England are on the board!
Argentina 0-0 England
21:06 , Alex Young19min: England are again penalised for ill-discipline and this prompts Jamie George to have a chat with referee Angus Gardner about just that.
It doesn’t matter though as Carreras goes for the posts... and misses!
Argentina 0-0 England
21:04 , Alex Young18min: Fantastic from England! Argentina are again held up but this time there’s no penalty.
Argentina 0-0 England
21:03 , Alex Young17min: Argentina are held up over the line, but it’s a penalty advantage with England offside so we will start quickly again...
Argentina 0-0 England
21:02 , Alex Young16min: Coles is penalised for head-on-head contact and sent to the sin bin, but it will be reviewed for a possible red card.
We restart with an Argentina penalty.
Argentina 0-0 England
21:00 , Alex Young16min: Argentina are a yard short of the line but play is pulled back for an Argentina penalty... but TMO are checking a foul by Coles.
Argentina 0-0 England
20:58 , Alex Young14min: Uh oh. Ford takes his eyes off the ball and ends up behind his try line before booting it into touch inside the England 22.
Argentina 0-0 England
20:56 , Alex Young10min: Huge hit from Isgro on Slade prompts huge cheers from the home support. Great tackle.
Argentina 0-0 England
20:53 , Alex Young8min: Oh, that’s better. The fourh box kick forces an Argentina mistake and we’ll have a scrum.
Argentina 0-0 England
20:52 , Alex Young7min: Three times Spencer has already tried a high box kick, but England are not getting too much from them at the moment.
Argentina 0-0 England
20:51 , Alex Young6min: This is good from England. Another turnover, this time from Curry on Carreras, which leads to Spencer clearing.
Argentina 0-0 England
20:50 , Alex Young5min: Steward sends the ball into touch but Ford’s pass is from just outside so it’s an Argentina lineout.
Argentina 0-0 England
20:47 , Alex Young3min: England give away a cheap penalty after an otherwise decent start on the backfoot from the tourists.
Kick-off!
20:44 , Alex Young1min: Here we go!
Very long.
A long, very impressive rendition of the Argentina national anthem.
Here come the players!
It’s not a warm evening in La Plata. Temperatures are currently around 12C at 4.35pm local time.
Final prep before kick-off. We’re about 20 minutes away.
Latest match odds
20:09 , Alex YoungArgentina to win: 4/9
England to win: 2/1
Draw: 20/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
Summer plan
19:57 , Alex YoungLos Pumas will come into the tie high on confidence after pulling off a major upset against the British and Irish Lions last time out, triumphing 28-24 in Dublin.
England will face Argentina for a second time just a week on from this fixture.
They will then head to Washington, D.C., to meet the United States national side at Audi Field.
Steve Borthwick speaks
19:44 , Alex Young"We're excited to be playing in Argentina and to test ourselves against a strong, in-form side.
"Having beaten the British & Irish Lions, they come into this series as favourites. They're brilliantly led by Julian Montoya and we know it will be a huge challenge."
A little over an hour until kick-off in La Plata.
100-up for Ford
19:19 , Alex YoungGeorge Ford - who made his debut in 2014 - will bring up his century of appearances tonight, becoming just the eighth men’s player to do so for England. He joins a list led by the recently retired Ben Youngs that also includes Dan Cole, Jason Leonard, Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes, Danny Care and George.
He is currently third on the list of all-time England points scorers with 413, behind only Farrell and Jonny Wilkinson.
“George has been a standout player for over a decade,” said head coach Steve Borthwick. “Reaching 100 caps is a remarkable achievement, and it speaks volumes about both the professional and the person he is. Everyone in the squad is incredibly proud to share this moment with him.”
Score prediction
19:07 , Alex YoungEven at full-strength you would consider this two-Test summer tour a tough assignment for England, let alone missing their large Lions contingent and a number of other players through injury.
Argentina are a disciplined and physical outfit packed full of nous, guile and attacking flair, as the Lions found out to their cost in Dublin.
Bolstered by some returning stars and itching to take advantage of a much-weakened rival on home soil, you have to agree with Borthwick that the Pumas begin the series as the favourites.
The onus will be on England’s young hopefuls to grasp the significant opportunity that lies in front of them with both hands, and on more experienced heads like George and Ford to guide them through a hugely difficult challenge.
Argentina to win, by seven points.
Head to head
18:55 , Alex YoungEngland have dominated this fixture historically, losing just five of 27 total contests against the Pumas dating back to 1981 - and only one since 2009.
Argentina’s 30-29 triumph in the autumn of 2022 was their first at Twickenham for some 16 years, thanks to superb performances from Emiliano Boffelli and Santiago Carreras.
England won both subsequent matches at the World Cup in 2023 and last toured Argentina in 2017, winning two Tests in San Juan and Santa Fe. The two sides are scheduled to meet again in the autumn.
Argentina wins: 5
England wins: 21
Draws: 1
Argentina line-up
18:46 , Alex YoungArgentina XV: Elizalde; Isgro, Cinti, Piccardo, Cordero; Carreras, Bertranou; Vivas, Montoya (c), Delgado; Paulos, Rubiolo; Matera, Gonzalez, Isa
Replacements: Bernasconi, Gallo, Marchetti, Grondona, Moro, Benitez Cruz, Roger, Moroni
Argentina team news
18:38 , Alex YoungArgentina, captained by departing Leicester hooker Julian Montoya, have made six changes to the side that started against the Lions.
Bristol’s Benjamin Elizalde makes his debut at full-back, with Santiago Cordero coming onto the wing as Gonzalo Bertranou returns at scrum-half and Santiago Carreras moves from 15 to 10.
Lucas Paulos earns a start in the second row and Pedro Delgado replaces Joel Sclavi at tighthead, while Facundo Isa comes in at number eight. Nicolas Roger is poised to earn his Pumas debut off the bench.
England line-up
18:31 , Alex YoungEngland XV: Steward; Roebuck, Slade, S Atkinson, Muir; Ford (co-c), Spencer; Baxter, George (co-c), Heyes; Ewels, Coles; B Curry, Underhill, Willis
Replacements: Dan, Rodd, Opoku-Fordjour, Cunningham-South, Pepper, Dombrandt, Van Poortvliet, Murley
England team news
18:26 , Alex YoungAs he did against the France XV, George Ford co-captains the visitors alongside hooker Jamie George this weekend, becoming only the eighth men’s player ever to reach a century of caps for England in the process.
There are senior international debuts for Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson and wing Will Muir, whose Bath team-mate Guy Pepper will also earn his first cap off the bench.
England’s inexperienced side are without 12 players currently on Lions duty including regular skipper Maro Itoje, plus Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Henry Pollock, Tom Curry, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman.
Elliot Daly was also in Australia, but suffered a tour-ending fractured forearm against the Queensland Reds, leading to a call-up for Owen Farrell, who has not played for England since the 2023 World Cup after stepping back from international rugby in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing and spending a year in France.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is with the England squad this summer but won’t be available until the USA Test after being handed a two-game ban following his sending off for a dangerous high tackle on French fly-half Antoine Hastoy on his first appearance since December after a shoulder injury.
Fraser Dingwall, George Furbank, Ollie Lawrence, Alex Lozowski, George Martin, Joe Batley and Ollie Sleightholme are all absent from the tour due to injury, though Ben Curry is fit again and Sam Underhill back from suspension.
How to watch Argentina vs England
18:17 , Alex YoungTV channel: In the UK, the game is available to watch live on Sky Sports Action, with coverage beginning at 7:40pm BST ahead of an 8:40pm kick-off.
Live stream: Those with a Sky Sports subscription can also view the match live online via the Sky Go app. It can also be streamed with NOW.
Welcome
18:14 , Alex YoungGood evening and welcome to the Standard’s LIVE coverage of the clash between Argentina and England in La Plata.
It is an experimental England side who are kicking off a three-Test tour tonight, and they face a team ahead of them in the world rankings after a fine 18 months.
Can Steve Borthwick’s side start with a huge win? Kick-off is at 8.40pm UK time.
