George Ford is conductor supreme as England land on formula for the future in Argentina win
Argentina 12-35 England: An England side missing 13 Lions combined defensive resilience and incisive attack to stun Los Pumas in La Plata and give Steve Borthwick a blueprint that can take them to the World Cup
If England can combine the defensive resilience they showed in the opening 40 minutes against Argentina in La Plata with the incisive attack produced in the first seven minutes of the second, Steve Borthwick might just have a formula to carry him to the World Cup.
Taking on Los Pumas in a two-Test series without 13 British and Irish Lions, the odds seemed stacked against England, with Borthwick at pains to point out that his team entered this first clash as underdogs.
But when you have a fly half as classy as George Ford running the show, anything is possible, and there was so much to enjoy on both sides of the ball in England’s 35-12 success.
Ford, on the occasion of his 100th cap, showed just why he was able to tear up the England first team in training during this year’s Six Nations, but only after his teammates had repelled wave after wave of Argentinian pressure in the first half.
The only score of those 40 minutes at the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi was a Ford drop goal, reminiscent of the three he landed to down Los Pumas at the World Cup two years ago.
It is curious in many ways that there are three English fly-halves currently in Australia with the Lions, and yet Ford is probably the best playmaker of them all and finds himself more than 12,000 kilometres away.
He had been treated to a tribute video organised by co-captain Jamie George that featured Frank Lampard, a nod to his support of Chelsea, a host of long-time England colleagues and most bizarrely Tony Blair – apparently a No.10 before he moved into No.10.
That celebration on the eve of the match will now be matched by those after this success, although Ford was typically modest in his assessment of his own performance.
He said: “We just wanted to perform well and win. It is all about the team as always. We understand how difficult it is here in Argentina so it is a great win for us.
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“We were under pressure in the first half; we gave away too many penalties and could not get out of our half.
“We had to make sure second half we got out of our half and create some try-scoring opportunities, which we did early in the second half. We have to back it up next week and we know Argentina will come back at us. Another challenge that we will look forward to.”
England spent the vast majority of the first half defending for their lives. Three times they held up Argentina in the in-goal area, while they also came through spells with 14 and even 13 men.
That was following a yellow card for Alex Coles for an upright tackle on Facundo Isa and then a trip to the bin for debutant Seb Atkinson after referee Angus Gardner finally ran out of patience with the penalty county from the visitors.
Still, Argentina could not find a way through despite overwhelming territorial dominance – a big tick for defensive coaching duo Joe El-Abd and Byron McGuigan, the latter here on secondment from Sale.
The way they rushed Argentina time and again looks a promising blueprint that could be used once the likes of Maro Itoje return.
Not that any English Lion will find it easy to walk straight back into a starting role. Atkinson, Will Muir and Guy Pepper all made their debuts in this one but to a man, England’s players looked at home in the hostile atmosphere of Estudiantes’ home ground.
Having withstood a barrage in the first half, they then cut loose early in the second, Tom Roebuck grabbing two tries either side of one for Freddie Steward – Ford inevitably at the heart of those incisive attacks.
Trailing 22-0, Argentina responded, Pablo Matera and Pedro Rubiolo both scoring, the latter finishing off the try of the game following brilliant hands from forwards and backs.
But two Ford penalties, the second from distance, put the game beyond reach before Cadan Murley made it four second-half tries five minutes from time.
Given the absentees and the scale of the challenge – albeit Argentina were missing six of the players who started their win over the Lions – it is the sort of performance from which Borthwick can build.
Firstly in San Juan next week to complete a series victory, but more importantly over the next two years leading into the World Cup.
From a second-place finish in the Six Nations which ended with four successive victories, England’s upward trajectory is showing no signs of tailing off. The question now is just how far this formula can take them.
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