Argentina vs England LIVE: Rugby score and latest updates from Nations Championship

Centre of attention: Henry Pollock is on the bench for England in Argentina despite his hat-trick against FijiAFP/GettyRugby’s Nations Championship provides the setting as Argentina and England renew their fierce rivalry tonight for the second time this week. Steve Borthwick’s side make the long trip to the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero just three days after a dramatic football World Cup semi-final between the two countries, in which England blew a late lead to lose 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion amid fierce criticism of Thomas Tuchel’s tactics.The Pumas will be eager to make it a memorable double for Argentina this evening having bounced back from their opening weekend loss to Scotland by easing past Wales, though England should have some renewed confidence after running in 11 tries - including a hat-trick for Henry Pollock - during a 73-8 demolition of Fiji. That resounding victory in Liverpool snapped a damaging five-game losing streak that had seen the pressure mount considerably on Borthwick, with a historically bad Six Nations campaign followed by a thrashing in South Africa.But this should be a far tougher test for England, who have seen Asher Opoku-Fordjour withdrawn late from their bench due to concussion as George Kloska comes back in. Follow Argentina vs England live below!Argentina vs England latest newsNations Championship results todayIt’s been another hectic day of Nations Championship action as the summer portion of the inaugural Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere competition draws to a close.A tough afternoon for Wales as they were nilled and shipped 43 points in South Africa, after spirited Fiji had given Scotland a far sterner test than they gave England last weekend, eventually going down 33-17 at Murrayfield.Italy were demolished 57-10 by the Wallabies in Australia, after France brushed aside Japan 42-15 in Tokyo and New Zealand shone in a 40-21 defeat of Ireland at their Eden Park fortress.AFP/GettyArgentina confident of emulating football team's heroicsArgentina’s rugby stars will certainly take inspiration from their football counterparts as they bid to topple England this evening.Flanker Joaquin Moro - who plays his club rugby for Leicester - believes the Pumas can feed off the incredible atmosphere that has swept across the country in the aftermath of Wednesday’s dramatic World Cup semi-final victory.However, he is also expecting a reaction from an England team who may have revenge on the mind.“It’s amazing for our country,” Moro said. “If you go out to the streets across Argentina all this week, you see white and the blue jerseys everywhere.“It was a special day on Wednesday because of the semi-final and it’s a special month because of the World Cup.“The passion of the country comes out now more than at other times and that means that our game against England will also be special.“It’s always a hard game against England, but this time I think it will be a little more so.”GettyEngland out to continue winning streak against ArgentinaEngland’s record against Argentina is a very strong one.They have won 24 of 30 previous meetings against the Pumas, including five in a row and 15 of the last 16.A team missing their British and Irish Lions contingent - against an Argentina outfit resting many of their own key players - won impressively 2-0 on their summer tour last year, before that spicy 27-23 autumn victory at Twickenham in November.Argentina’s only win over England since 2009 came at Twickenham in the autumn of 2022, when Emiliano Boffelli starred as the Pumas won at the home of English rugby for the first time since 2006.It is 17 years since Argentina last defeated England on home soil.Will that change tonight?GettyEngland confirm late squad changeHere’s confirmation from England of that late change to their bench as George Kloska replaces the concussed Asher Opoku-Fordjour...Curry and Contepomi reunite after Twickenham tunnel clashTonight’s game is absolutely full of fascinating subplots, one of which is the reunion between England back-row Tom Curry and Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi.Contepomi accused Curry of being a “bully” and pushing and swearing at him during a clash that occurred in the tunnel at Twickenham following England’s feisty 27-23 victory over the Pumas in an autumn international last November.Chaos broke out after the full-time whistle that day, with Argentina incensed over a tackle Curry made on full-back Juan Cruz Mallia that left him with an anterior cruciate ligament injury."I don't know where to start with it," Contepomi said afterwards."I am not a good English speaker but I would call it reckless. We ended up playing with 14, they ended up with 15 and it was not even checked out [by the match officials]."And Curry, let me say, it is not only that because probably it is part of his nature to bully people.“But he came off in the tunnel and he gave me a little smack. He is 27, strong. I am 48."The Six Nations, who organise the autumn internationals, decided to take no action against Curry after investigating the alleged incident.GettyBorthwick defends Pollock over Argentina fan tauntsHenry Pollock will be used to the regular boos from opposition crowds by now, but he could be in for a particularly rough reception when he comes on tonight.Footage of England’s ultra-confident back-row sensation taunting Argentina fans from the team bus went viral on social media earlier this week.Pollock was seen making faces at the supporters, many of whom were wearing Argentina shirts, as well as shushing gestures as the England team went back to their hotel following a training session.It is unlikely to be forgotten by the home fans in attendance tonight, but Steve Borthwick defended the Northampton star’s actions.“Henry’s full of character,” Borthwick said. “We want character in our game and we want character in our squad.“This squad really embraces what he brings.“It takes all kinds of different personalities and we’ve got some players who wouldn’t do that and then you’ve got Henry who would go and do that.“We embrace it. I think it was done in good nature and it came from a very good place.”GettyEngland change hotels to avoid potential Argentina World Cup partySantiago del Estero is more than 650 miles north of Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital where England have been based since arriving in the country at the start of the week.They will travel back there after tonight’s game and stay for one more night, changing hotels to one closer to the airport ahead of Monday’s flight home in case they get caught up in the celebrations if Argentina beat Spain in tomorrow’s football World Cup final.Players were given earplugs and a steel fence was erected around their hotel as a precautionary measure on Wednesday night as jubilant Argentina fans celebrated their dramatic semi-final win over England in some style.“I wouldn’t suggest that everybody got a great night’s sleep last night – there were still fireworks going off at 4am this morning,” Steve Borthwick said on Thursday.“Most of us were on the other side of the hotel and earplugs were issued to everybody, so we were prepared for that.“I went up to the hotel terrace that overlooks the street fairly late and there were still a load of players just watching it and just taking it in. People jumping up and down for hours in the streets.“Fireworks going off. It was something to see.“We’d obviously all wanted England to win but one of the experiences of touring is seeing a spectacle like that in a different part of the world.”AFP/GettyOllie Chessum 'extremely hopeful' that racist incident won't be repeatedThe Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) were adamant that last year’s incident of racist abuse in San Juan was a one-off.England vice-captain Ollie Chessum is hopeful that there won’t be any repeat this evening at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades.“It’s important that we support our team-mates and look after our friends,” he said.“What happened last year was terrible and we don’t want a repeat of that.“But I’m extremely hopeful that something like that doesn’t happen.“The stadium is an awesome place to play and at our hotel there were Argentinian fans who had been waiting to see us all morning.”GettyJamie George: England may leave pitch if targeted by racist abuseEngland captain Jamie George has suggested that he could lead his team off the pitch if there is any racist abuse from the stands tonight.England duo Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Chandler Cunningham-South were targeted by a small group of fans while they warmed up during the first half of England’s 22-17 Second Test victory in San Juan last summer.World Rugby concluded that an incident of racial discrimination had taken place and George insists England could walk back down the tunnel if there is a repeat incident in Santiago del Estero this evening.“It’s something being considered,” he said. “If anything like that happened then it deserves the strongest of reactions. There is no place for that in the world and I feel incredibly strongly about that.“We’ve had discussions around ‘what if?’. I really hope – and I’m optimistic – that the Argentinian Rugby Union has taken it very seriously. At the same time we’ve got a plan B if that doesn’t happen.PA“The first thing we’d do is make the referee aware of what we’ve seen so it can be properly logged and all the protocols can go into play. What we do outside of that we’re still deciding.”George added: “It’s something I will remember for the rest of my life when I heard what had happened – and it wasn’t directed at me.“It was directed at my team-mates and I care about my team-mates more than anything.“I will continue to have conversations with a select group of players from different ethnic backgrounds and we will come up with a plan.”Argentina lineupAnd here’s how Argentina shape up up with Matias Moroni and Mayco Vivas replacing Lucio Cinti and Boris Wenger.Pedro Delgado, Efrain Elias and Joaquin Moro are in for Francisco Coria Marchetti, Franco Molina and Ignacio Mendy on the bench.10 of this Pumas squad play their club rugby in England.Argentina XV: S Carreras; Delguy, Moroni, Piccardo, M Carreras; Albornoz, Garcia; Vivas, Montoya (c), Rapetti; Petti, Alemanno; Grondona, Kremer, OviedoReplacements: Ruiz, Wenger, Delgado, Elias, Matera, Moro, Benitez Cruz, CintiAFP/Getty