England defeats Argentina 31-24 in Nations Championship amid seven yellow cards

England beat Argentina 31‑24 in the third round of the 2026 Nations Championship at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero. The match was marked by a record seven yellow cards, with both sides reduced to 13 men in the second half. England's points came from tries by Tommy Freeman, Ben Earl (twice), Marcus Smith and Immanuel Feyi‑Waboso, with Finn Smith converting. Argentina replied with tries from Mateo Carreras and Justo Piccardo, and Tomás Albornoz added a penalty and two conversions.

A late Argentine try by Bautista Delguy was reviewed by the TMO and ruled out after it was judged that his arm was out of play, ending the contest. England entered the game after a 73‑8 victory over Fiji, while Argentina had previously beaten Wales and lost to Scotland. The Pumas wore a special jersey commemorating Argentina’s 1986 World Cup football triumph. Former England scrum‑half Matt Dawson commented that England’s discipline in the match was “verging on comical.”