England v Argentina as it happened: Superb Ford stuns Pumas

England 27-10 Argentina

80 - Full-time! England - down to 14-men for 70 minutes - stun Argentina to win their trickiest-looking fixture in Pool D.

Oh my. What will this do for their confidence now?

78 - Try! It's late but Argentina make headway in England's 22 with phase after phase. Boffelli powers forward, Velez takes it on and Bruni goes over the line for the first try of the game. 27-8, and the conversion goes over too. 27-10.

75 - Penalty! You know what's coming! Ford kicks 27 points for England - his record haul for England since scoring 25 against France in 2015. The Princess of Wales is pictured on the big screen and it's all smiles. 27-3.

Ford is taken off for Smith, who makes his World Cup debut.

72 - Argentina have conceded 11 penalties this evening. It's been a disaster for them as Swing Low Sweet Chariot rings around the Stade Vélodrome.

71 - Carreras receives treatment on the pitch as England make a change. Dan comes on for George, who walks off to huge applause.

70 - It doesn't need to be said, but Argentina have been really poor this evening.

66 - Argentina power forward and make way into England's 22 with several phases, before they all pile on the try-line. England win the defensive scrum and Earl celebrates!

England are close.

65 - Penalty! It's Ford again. A huge cheer erupts as the score ticks over to 24-3.

63 - Ford kicks a penalty into the corner as Mallia slips - to the delight of the England fans. England win the attacking line-out and it's another penalty for England - Argentina penalised for not rolling away! 

Lavanini is down injured and receives treatment.

Captain Lawes comes off for his Northampton teammate Ludlam.

62 - Matera cynically thumps into Ford. The players take a drinks break.

61 - Penalty miss! Earl is quick on the turnover as England win a penalty on the halfway, but the ball is given to Daly who can only drag his effort wide.

57 - Penalty! It's a masterclass from England's number 10 as Ford blasts another penalty between the posts. He's won all of England's points so far this evening. Argentina need something, and fast. 21-3.

Scrum-half Michell comes off for Care.

53 - Penalty! Ford with another! 18-3.

This is an Argentina side that have recently beaten New Zealand, England and Australia - and they're 15 points down against 14-men. Incredible.

Marler comes on Genge, Martin on for Chessum

51 - Tuilagi clatters into Chocobares as Argentina are forced back, conceeding a penalty. We all know what's coming here. Ford steps up...

49 - Mitchell and Daly try a one-two on the far side but are forced into touch.

Changes: England's Cole comes off for Stuart. Argentina's Sclavi and Rubiolo come on for Kodela and Lavanini.

44 - Penalty! Was there any doubt? Ford kicks over once again. 15-3.

41 - England start brightly and win a scrum following a knock-on and they're on the move. They win another scrum and Argentina are eventually offside. It'll be a penalty in a very kickable range deep inside the 22.

41 - We're underway in the second half!

Change for Argentina. Pagadizabal comes on for Alemanno.

40 - England win the scrum and boot the ball out of play. It's half-time.

This is the best England have played in quite some time. They came into the World Cup on the back of one win in six matches. Reduced to 14 after Tom Curry's yellow card that was upgraded to red, they could've been staring into the abyss - but we're 40 minutes away from England topping the group for the fifth time in their history.

36 - Drop goal! It's 2003 all over again! Ford collects the ball following various phases inside Argentina's 22 and without hesitation kicks over for another three points. 12-3.

Remember England are down to 14!

33 - Huge cheers from the England fans as Argentina try a drop goal that slumps wide.

32 - England are powering forward but make a hash of a three on two on the far side. Daly and May make a muddle and the ball goes out to touch.

30 - Drop goal! Ford is on the halfway line, collects the ball and puts his laces through it as the ball sails over the post! 9-3

29 - Penalty miss! England are 59 metres from the line but Daly takes it and it drifts narrowly wide. Marchant chases as Argentina boot the ball to touch.

27 - Drop goal! Tuilagi charges forward. Mitchell pulls the ball back to Ford who kicks over! Where did that come from! 6-3

22 - It was a knock-on by Gallo but the referee pulls it back for a penalty against England. Argentina take it four metres from the line but Lawes wins it back with Montoya trying to protect it. Terrific defending. England roar in delight.

21 - Nervy moments for England. Argentina keep it tight and power forward as they drive over the line! Argentina celebrate but TMO will review. Was it knocked-on?

20 - Argentina kick the ball forward as Carreras makes chase - but it bounces in the corner by the England tryline. Wonderful kick.

The players pause for a water break.

19 - TMO have finished their review and Carreras runs back on! Argentina are back to 15. It's going to be an exhausting match for England.

16 - Argentina push forward in a rumbling maul before a knock-on and England have the scrum. Carreras' clatter is still being reviewed...

14 - England are trying to find some rhythm as the ball is kicked between the 22s, before winning a scrum.

10 - Red card! England are down to 14! Curry's yellow card (see 3') has been upgraded to red.

It's England's fourth red card since March 2023 and their first at a World Cup. Oh my.

9 - Penalty! Ford kicks between the posts with ease. 3-3.

8 - Oof. Carreras clatters in to Ford away from the ball and a huge roar goes up. Raynal goes to TMO and Carreras is shown a yellow on review. It's 14 v 14!

Penalty for England.

7 - Penalty miss! Boffelli slices his effort wide. England need to get a grip here.

4 - Penalty! After all that, Boffelli has a penalty and kicks Argentina into the lead. 0-3.

3 - Curry, head bandaged, has been shown a yellow card and is sin binned under the bunker review - eight nervy minutes ahead. England are down to 14.

It was a head-on-head clash and could be upgrated to red from the FPO...

2 - A lively start for both sides as Steward belts the ball shy of the 22.

Mallia receives treatment for a cut to the head after a heavy challenge from Curry.

But TMO are reviewing...

1 - England have never conceded a first-half try against Argentina at a World Cup, conceding only nine points across the opening 40 minutes of their three games played.

More of the same please!

0 - Referee Mathieu Raynal blows his whistle. Carreras boots the ball high into the Marseille sky for Argentina and we’re away!

19:57 BST - The players are walking out into the stadium - we're minutes away.

It's a hot and humid evening in Marseilles.

19:50 BST - There are reportedly huge queues of fans trying to get into the stadium. It's unlikely the game will be delayed, but thousands of fans are stuck outside.

We have 10 minutes until kick-off.

19:45 BST - England have conceded 22 tries in four games ahead of the tournament, but this fixture has traditionally been cagey. This is the fourth time they have played each other at a World Cup, after 2005, 2011 and 2019. On the first two occasions the winning margin was less than a converted try. 

19:37 BST - Argentina's players will know the England team very well indeed, with a third of their squad plying their trade in the Premiership; four play at Newcastle Falcons, two at Gloucester, two at Saracens with a player at Bristol Bears, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks.

19:35 BST - Here's how the teams will line-up this evening - kick-off is less than 30 minutes away.

England: Steward, May, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly, Ford, Mitchell, Genge, George, Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Lawes (c), Curry, Earl.

Replacements: Dan, Marler, Stuart, Martin, Ludlam, Care, Smith, Lawrence.

Argentina: Mallia, Boffelli, Cinti, Chocobares, M. Carreras, S. Carreras, Bertranou, Gallo, Montoya (c), Gomez Kodela, Alemanno, Lavanini, Matera, Kremer, Gonzalez.

Replacements: Creevy, Sclavi, Bello, Petti, Rubiolo, Bruni, Velez, Moroni.  

19:30 BST - Hello and welcome along to the live blog of England v Argentina in the opening World Cup Pool D clash in Marseille.

Despite their dreadful pre-tournament form - culminating in an embarrassing 22-30 home defeat to Fiji - unfortunate injuries and ill discipline, England are still strong favourites to progress from the pool with Samoa, Chile and Japan to come - but they will face an almighty test against the Pumas tonight who are two places above them in the world rankings.

After a terrific opening to the tournament yesterday and thumping wins for Ireland and Australia today, if the Red and Whites need any further inspiration they should take note from the last time an England side played in this stadium: a World Cup quarter-final win over Australia in 2007.

Argentina’s last game in Marseille? A defeat to France in November 2008.

Preview

The distinctive Stade Vélodrome in Marseilles will host the fifth match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup (RWC) with England taking on Argentina in the opening game of Pool D on Saturday evening.

In a pool alongside Japan, Samoa and World Cup debutants Chile, these two sides are expected to finish in the top two of the group. Therefore, the winner of this game will put themselves in an early pole position to take on the second-placed team from Pool C in the quarter finals.

In spite of being one of only four previous winners of the RWC, and the runners-up in 2019, England are not in the top five favourites for this year’s tournament, and with good reason as they come into this match in poor form.

Their only victories from their last 18 games (W5, D1, L12) came against Wales, Japan and Italy, culminating in their first ever defeat to Fiji when they were beaten 30-22 at Twickenham in their final warm-up game last month.

During the Summer Nations Series games, coach Steve Borthwick’s preparations were dominated by red cards and subsequent suspensions for captain Owen Farrell and number eight Billy Vunipola, both of who remain unavailable for this opener.

As a result, it’s been a somewhat haphazard build-up for the 2003 RWC winners, reflected by the inclusion of scrum-half Alex Mitchell and winger Jonny May in the XV for this Saturday, both players who were not named in the original 33-man squad.

However, England fans searching for reasons for optimism can point to their strong overall record against Argentina (W19, D1, L5), their performance in the last RWC in France (runners-up 2007), and their winning start in each of their last seven finals - including wins over Argentina in 1995 and 2011.

The Pumas will be hoping it’s third time lucky as they take on England in their opening pool game once again and confidence will be high in the camp due to a 30-29 win at Twickenham last November, a victory which precipitated the sacking of Eddie Jones as England’s head coach. The side will also generate self-belief from their World Rugby Ranking of six, two places above their opponents.

It is an experienced group in the Argentina squad who have collected an average of 42 international caps, behind only New Zealand (46 caps) and England (44 caps) ahead of this RWC.

And going back through previous tournaments, they have a strong pedigree in this competition in France, a country where they went all the way to the semi-final and finished third in 2007, beating the hosts on two occasions, and recorded a famous 28-24 victory over Ireland in 1999 during the quarter-final play-offs.

Michael Cheika’s team had a morale boosting 62-3 win over Spain in their final game ahead of this tournament, a result which came after successive, but narrow defeats, against South Africa.

Led by skipper Julian Montoya, Argentina will have nine players in their side who have previous RWC experience, including 38 year old hooker Agustin Creevy in their side who is taking part in his fourth World Cup. An experienced combination of players which Cheika hopes will yield their first World Cup victory over England.

Players to watch: After initially being told he would not be going to France this autumn, Jonny May has enjoyed a Lazarus-style comeback and he found the line in the defeat to Fiji in the last game. He has a 100% win record against Argentina and has scored a try in three of those fine victories. Versatile back Emiliano Boffelli scored 25 of Argentina’s 30 points (T1, C1, P6) in the win over England at Twickenham last November and has also contributed points in games against South Africa and Australia over recent games.

Hot stat: Across their nine opening games at RWCs, Argentina’s only victory came in France in 2007.