England lose Daly but make it 13 straight

Sun, Nov 27, 2016, 1:30 AM
AFP
by AFP
Elliot Daly is the first England backline player to be sent off. Photo: Getty Images
Elliot Daly is the first England backline player to be sent off. Photo: Getty Images

A defiant England, down to 14 men for almost the entire match, beat Argentina 27-14 in a brutal contest to stretch their winning streak to 13 games on Saturday.

Elliot Daly became the first England back to be sent off in their history in the fourth minute, while Argentina had replacement prop Enrique Pieretto dismissed for stamping and there were also four yellow cards.

A fiercely contested and brutal contest saw England delighted with their latest victory, which is the third of the Autumn series having overcome South Africa and Fiji already.

The Wasps wing Daly was shown a red card for dangerously taking Argentina No.8 Leonardo Senatore out in mid air and sending the forward crashing painfully down to the turf after just four minutes of the Test.

French referee Pascal Gauzere had little option but to dismiss Daly for the offence, albeit more clumsy than malicious, due to the nature of the incident.

Flanker Lewis Moody was the last England player to be shown a red card against Samoa in 2005. He is also only the fifth Englishman in Tests in a list which also includes Mike Burton, Danny Grewcock and Simon Shaw.

A penalty try and Jonny May's score at the end saw the hosts end Argentina's hopes of finishing their dismal year on a high. Owen Farrell kicked 17 points to cap the win.

Scrumhalf Ben Youngs insisted: "It was a blow to lose Elliot so early and we had to battle and keep our discipline from then on.

"It's fantastic to go the year unbeaten and shows how far we have gone in the last 12 months. We are learning all the time and it's an exciting time to be an England player. We want to make history."

In Vannes, Levani Botia scored two tries as Fiji beat Japan 38-25 to end their European tour with a win and kept their Asian rivals out of the world top 10.

Fiji coach John McKee said the Pacific nation's Olympic Sevens title had given them new confidence in their ability as they head toward the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

McKee said he was "very happy" with the domineering display against a Japanese side who could have taken 10th place in the world from Fiji had they won in the western French town of Vannes.

But Albert Vulivuli touched down the first of Fiji's five tries after 15 minutes and they were never under threat even though Peceli Yato was sent off in the first half for a dangerous tackle.

In Kilmarnock, Scotland absorbed the shock of conceding a fourth minute try to scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze before steamrollering Georgia with six tries of their own in a 43-16 victory.

Full back Stuart Hogg scored tries in both halves, while there were also tries for wingers Tommy Seymour and Sean Maitland and flanker Hamish Watson, plus a penalty try as the Scots ran out convincing winners on the plastic pitch that is home to Kilmarnock Football Club.

In Padua, Tonga pulled off a major shock on Saturday when they defeated Italy 19-17 to end their tour of Europe on a high.

Italy scored two tries to one but the boot of Sonatane Takulua got them across the line with four penalties and a conversion.

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