England 27 Argentina 10: Brilliant Red Rose play with 14 men for 77 MINUTES but stun Pumas after George Ford heroics
NERVELESS George Ford booted 14-man England to a huge backs to the wall World Cup winning start.
Fly-half Ford, only in the side because pal and skipper Owen Farrell is suspended, kicked all England’s points including three brilliant drop goals.
And Ford’s outstanding display, exceeding Rob Andrew’s match-winning kicking haul in England’s first World Cup win over the Pumas back in 1995, bailed out Sale club-mate Tom Curry’s to totally change the mood music around Steve Borthwick’s men.
Curry’s head hit on Argentina full-back Juan Cruz Mallia meant England were a man down for an astonishing 77 minutes at the Stade Velodrome.
It was England’s first World Cup red card, their third in four matches, and looked like the sort of hammerblow that kills off a side lacking self belief.
Yet you would never have known it.
From deep within themselves, cultivating a cause, showing desire and endeavour with every tackle, England found inspiration from adversity.
And leading that, the midfield general with calmness at his core, Ford’s intelligence ensuring all that hard work was worth it.
The first two drop goals, from a combined 95 yards, were blows the Argentines simply never recovered from.
And as Ford took every chance he was given with magnificent assurance, Steve Borthwick’s men had a win that will mean the world as they upset the rankings and the team that began the Eddie Jones tailspin last year.
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Back in Durban, Andrew kicked all 24 points for England in that 1995 win but this was far more unlikely – and will alter the mindset of the entire squad.
The last thing Borthwick would have wanted was a repeat of the indiscipline and head contacts that had ruled out Farrell and Billy Vunipola.
Yet just three minutes in they were reduced to 14 men.
Curry did not play a minute of the four warm-up matches because of his ankle problems but his return barely lasted long enough for him to get his feet on the turf.
The Sale Shark was trying to compete with full-back Mallia for the high ball.
But the head-to-head contact, picked up by the TMO, was a clear yellow, with Curry spending eight minutes in the “bunker” before the dismissal was confirmed.
It was England’s FOURTH red card of the year and Emiliano Boffelli kicked the Pumas in front.
Yet before 10 minutes had elapsed the South Americans were ALSO down a man – but, wrongly, only temporarily.
Gloucester fly-half Santi Carreras so late with his hip into opposite number George Ford’s head that the kick had almost landed.
It looked far more dangerous and deliberate than Curry’s collision.
Once again, French referee Mathieu Raynal gave the final decision to the TMO.
Remarkably the yellow card was deemed sufficient punishment, although Ford got back on his feet to kick England level.
England, with Alex Mitchell bringing speed of ball and Ben Earl rumbustious energy, were at least playing with intensity.
They needed it after Carreras’ return – he was roundly and rightly booed back onto the pitch by the England fans – might have tipped the equation back in Argentina’s favour.
Many of those fans would have missed that Curry controversy after chaotic scenes outside the Stade Velodrome meant hordes of supporters missed the kick-off.
They would have feared the worst as Argentina progressed to the shadow of the posts only for Courtney Lawes and the England pack to secure a huge turnover.
And that defensive resolve was rewarded soon afterwards.
Ford, from just inside the Argentine half, received from Mitchell to slot a superb drop goal that gave England the lead for the first time.
The men in navy blue had a cause.
And, in Ford, a man with magic in his boots as he dropped another from bang on the half-way line to extend the advantage to six.
They had the chance to get the first try on the board, too, after an Argentine fumble in midfield.
Elliot Daly’s pass to Jonny May was mis-timed and the opportunity went begging.
Even so, England – and Ford – kept on coming, the No 10 adding a third drop goal – from shorter range – after Pablo Matera took out Freddie Seward in-mid air to set up a position in front of the posts.
The lead was up to 12 at the start of the second period as Ford punished Argentina once more, the start of a procession of offside offences.
England’s brutal hits were knocking lumps out of the Argentines, a superb forward effort augmented by the outside backs.
And Ford was deadly as he took advantage twice more after scrambled minds saw the South Americans infringe offside.
Despite two misses from inside his own half by Daly which really would have twisted the knife, England were never going to let this one go, Ford’s final two penalties taking him beyond that 1995 Andrew tally.
And even though replacement Rodrigo Bruni rolled over for the Argentines in the final minute, this was England’s night.
There is gas in that chariot, after all. Guts too. All changed, completely.