ENGLAND LAUNCHED THEIR November international campaign with an unconvincing 21-8 victory over 2019 World Cup pool opponents Argentina at Twickenham on Saturday.
Nathan Hughes scored his first Test try and Semesa Rokoduguni also crossed for England before Nicolas Sanchez went over late on for the Pumas in an error-strewn match.
This was England’s fourth successive victory against Argentina in just over a year, including a 2-0 series triumph in Argentina in June.
But they will surely need to go up a gear against Australia a week on Saturday.
For the Pumas, defeat continued a miserable 2017 that has seen them record just one victory in 10 Tests — against Georgia in June.
England started with Henry Slade at inside centre and Sam Underhill in the pack after coach Eddie Jones rested the British and Irish Lions duo of Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje.
England, in an unfamiliar black change kit at a rainy Twickenham, had a chance to take the lead in the second minute.
But fly-half Ford, taking over kicking duties in Farrell’s absence, saw a 35-metre penalty attempt hit the right post.
He was twice on targe from closer range, however, after Argentina conceded two needless ruck penalties.
Ford’s successful goal-kicks came either side of wing Emiliano Boffelli’s eighth-minute effort for the Pumas.
Both sides struggled to get much going in attack but a key moment of the first half came in the 22nd minute when Argentina wing Joaquin Tuculet was sin-binned for taking out England fullback Mike Brown in mid-air as the pair contested a high ball.
It seemed a harsh decision but South African referee Marius van der Westhuizen ruled Tuculet was “not in a realistic position” to attempt a catch and, after studying video replays, produced a yellow card.
Meanwhile Brown — who has a history of concussion injuries — was replaced by Rokoduguni after appearing to land awkwardly on his head.
Soon afterwards, with Argentina a man down, England scored the only try of the opening period when Ford’s expertly-judged cut-out pass found Hughes out wide on the right, with the No 8 charging over from close range for his first Test try.
Ford could not convert but England led 11-3.
Argentina fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez, preferred to Nicolas Sanchez by coach Daniel Hourcade, had two chances to close the gap shortly before the half-hour mark.
But from out left on the 22 he has off target with a penalty and then, from a similar distance, on the right, the veteran playmaker made a horrible mess of another penalty chance, pulling the ball far across the face of the posts.
Instead, it was England who scored next.
Ford’s clever chip ahead was regathered by half-back partner Ben Youngs, who in turn passed to Slade.
The Exeter midfielder, however, was tackled without the ball and Ford made no mistake with a simple penalty six minutes before half-time.
Early in the second half, England threatened on the counter-attack only for passes from Slade and Anthony Watson to go astray.
But Argentina were unable to reduce the deficit when Boffelli was well wide with a long-range penalty shortly before the hour mark.
With the Pumas still 11 points down, they ran a kickable penalty only for England to hold up the ensuing maul.
Both teams brought on replacements in the final quarter, with Sanchez coming on for Hernandez in the 64th minute only to miss a kickable penalty soon afterwards.
England then extended their lead in the 66th minute when substitute back Alex Lozowski made a surging break deep into Argentina’s 22. The ball was recycled and Slade’s long pass put Rokoduguni in at the right corner.
After checking for a forward pass, van der Westhuizen awarded the try and Ford landed a tough conversion to make it 21-3.
Argentina had the last word, though, when sustained pressure led to a try for Sanchez from a 30-phase move two minutes from time.
But it was too little too late for the Pumas, who saw Sanchez’s conversion attempt rebound off the post.
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