Van Poortvliet’s late try seals England series win in Argentina

Argentina: (17) 17

Tries: Cinti, Mendy Cons: Carreras 2 Pen: Carreras

England: (14) 22

Jack van Poortvliet scored a last-gasp try to hand England a dramatic victory in the second Test and an impressive 2-0 series win over Argentina.

With the scores locked at 17-17 for most of the second half in San Juan, England were closing in on a series victory after winning the first Test, but Van Poortvliet ensured they would claim a clean sweep.

The 2-0 win will please head coach Steve Borthwick, with his side missing 14 British and Irish Lions and coming against a side who beat the Lions in Dublin in June.

Inside centre Seb Atkinson, one of those to step up and impress, opened both the scoring and his England account while Freddie Steward added his second try in as many games in a superb, end-to-end first half.

The hosts were lacklustre a week ago but recovered well in the second Test as tries from Lucio Cinti and Ignacio Mendy, plus a Santiago Carerras penalty, handed them a slender lead at the interval.

George Ford restored parity from the boot after the break before the sides became locked in an arm wrestle as they pushed for the decisive score.

Argentina rarely threatened the England line but the visitors allowed multiple opportunities to evade them before Guy Pepper made the crucial break and offloaded for his fellow replacement Van Poortvliet to dive over in the corner.

Ford missed the subsequent conversion but, with the clock in the red, England caught the restart and fired the ball into the stands to claim their 10th Test win in Argentina.

England’s preparations were altered at the 11th hour after co-captain Jamie George became the 15th Englishman called up by the British and Irish Lions.

George watched from the sidelines in San Juan before he flies out to join the Lions in Brisbane on Sunday, as Saracens team-mate Theo Dan was handed a Test start and Curtis Langdon stepped on to the bench.

The visitors were not hampered by the late adjustment though, and picked up where they left off in La Plata with a renewed fluidity in attack.

With Fin Smith and Marcus Smith both with the Lions, Ford produced another controlled display from fly-half and had an influential hand in Atkinson’s opening try.

The Sale fly-half, on his 101st cap, first put up a high kick which was safely palmed back, before a pin-point cross-field was clung on to by Tom Roebuck. The ball was fed inside to debutant centre Luke Northmore, who offloaded to Atkinson to score his maiden try on his second appearance.

The Pumas hit back after Ben Curry had been sent to the sin-bin, as scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz juggled his way past a helpless Tom Willis before feeding Cinti for the hosts’ opening try.

Another neatly devised move resulted in Steward diving in at the corner but the England full-back was unfortunate when Carreras’ chip over the top ricocheted off the post for Mendy to gather and score.

Argentina were resolute in defence but barely fired a shot after the interval before being reduced to 14 players when Pablo Matera – who surpassed Agustin Creevy to become the Pumas’ most-capped player on his 111th Test appearance – was sent to the sin-bin for foul play at the breakdown.

England’s pressure finally told late on when Pepper, who was influential in the loose off the bench, made the break before feeding Van Poortvliet for a run-in.

England fly-half George Ford 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.

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)