These are your headlines on the morning of Monday, July 20.
Argentina v England ‘a joke’
Former England international Will Greenwood launched a scathing assessment of England’s dramatic defeat to Argentina, describing the contest as “everything I hate about rugby” after a match dominated by lengthy stoppages, yellow cards and controversial officiating decisions.
The ex-centre did not hold back in his verdict on the encounter, which lasted around two and a half hours and was repeatedly interrupted by TMO interventions, disciplinary reviews and lengthy discussions between the match officials.
There were ugly scenes after the match as referee Angus Gardner was targeted by the crowd, with an object appearing to be thrown at him.
Writing in the Telegraph after the game, Greenwood said: “What an absolute joke of a game that was between Argentina and England. It was everything I hate about rugby. A 2½-hour match with total confusion, misinterpretation, disagreements between officials, players getting on at each other, England brilliant then collapsing then brilliant then collapsing. It ruined my night.”
The Test had already become an increasingly fractious affair, with a succession of yellow cards disrupting the flow and leaving both teams repeatedly forced to adapt with reduced numbers. Several incidents were referred upstairs for review, contributing to the stop-start nature of the contest and prompting fresh debate over rugby’s disciplinary process and the impact of lengthy TMO interventions on the spectacle.
The controversy reached its peak in the closing stages when Argentina thought they had snatched a dramatic late try, only for it to be ruled out following another review.
Greenwood questioned the decision, adding: “Bedlam at the end – and I am often England’s most hyperbolic cheerleader – but that was clear and obvious my backside! There was nothing clear and obvious about that last try for Argentina being taken away. It goes a long way to putting people off rugby.”
Biggar flips 10 question on head
Wales rugby legend Dan Biggar says the answer of who should play at No10 for the national team should be influenced by who starts at inside centre.
Steve Tandy has chopped and changed at fly-half during the latest Nations Championship campaign, having plumped for Dan Edwards during the Six Nations, with Scarlets man Sam Costelow injured.
Both 10s bring something different to the role, with Edwards enjoying more time in the jersey under Tandy’s stewardship to date. But with Costelow now fit again, the head coach has a decision to make over who should be the long-term incumbent.
Biggar, though, feels the pick at 12 is almost more important when trying to figure out who should be the number one at No. 10.
Biggar said on ITV: “It’s a little bit like the Irish 10 debate, there is no real standout candidate.
“Dan Edwards and Sam Costelow are the two in the running and played the majority of the games.
“Dan Edwards is very much more of a moment player so he’s going to give you real big moments and he’s going to be on the end of things whereas Costelow is a little bit more keep it in structure.
“I think the biggest question in answering that is who do Wales play at 12 and how do they play at 12?
“Do they continue with a ball player, a second ball player at 12 or do they use an Eddie James and use him as a little bit of a Jamie Roberts-type player to get them over the gainline?”
Pushed by his co-pundit Ronan O’Gara over who he would pick, Biggar added: “Who has got more credit in the bank, probably Dan Edwards, seeing as Mr O’Gara is putting me on the spot!”
All Black’s son wins Open
By Carl Markham, Press Association
New Zealander Ryan Fox kept his head while all around him were losing theirs to make his major breakthrough at the age of 39 with a brilliant birdie at the last for a one-shot victory at the Open.
Fox, son of former All Blacks fly-half Grant, was one of only three players in the final 12 groups to shoot under par on a chaotic final day when Royal Birkdale finally showed its teeth after two days of back-to-back record-equalling rounds of 62.
After Cameron Young posted the nine-under target after a best-of-the-day 64 a couple of hours earlier, double figures was the aim for those out on the course.
Fox headed down the last – Birkdale’s most difficult hole – needing a birdie to overtake the American, for so long the PGA Tour’s perennial runner-up, and hit his approach inside 12 feet.
He held his nerve, as he had done all day and punched the air as he became New Zealand’s second Open champion after Sir Bob Charles in 1963.
Fox comes from rich sporting stock; father Grant won rugby’s first World Cup in 1987, while his his grandfather Merv Wallace captained New Zealand at Test cricket.
Townsend happy with form
By Gavin McCafferty, Press Association
Gregor Townsend reflected on the strides his Scotland side have made since their collapse against Argentina last autumn as they rounded off a long season with a comeback win over Fiji.
Scotland somehow let a 21-0 half-time lead slip when they lost to the Pumas at Murrayfield in November.
They soon lost in Italy in their Guinness Six Nations opener to leave Townsend facing criticism but they bounced back in impressive fashion and have now won five of their seven games since.
That included victories over Wales, England, France, Argentina and now a spirited Fiji team, who led by 10 points at half-time at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Townsend and his players showed they could turn the momentum in their favour with a more direct second-half display.
Three replacements grabbed four tries – Jamie Dobie (two), Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings – to seal a 33-17 Nations Championship win.
Looking back over the season, Townsend said: “I still feel the Rome game was beneficial in terms of, we didn’t start well, but we came back. The weather was a factor.
“But I did feel that since Argentina, we’ve been able to show that we’re able to come back in games. South Africa, for example, last week, Italy and Wales being the clear ones.
“But also being able to ride momentum as well. When we started well against France, we kept that going, same as England.
“That’s the part that I’ve been most impressed with and pleased that the players are able to handle momentum and notice it and make sure that we get it back quickly.
“Also, I feel that there’s a real alignment with the game. I think our supporters know what our identity is and our players do too and they know what is working for us.
“That’s not just playing an attack and moving the ball, it’s a certain way that they can shape a defence. And the kicking game too. We came on in huge strides there and that was something we had to go to.
“From a coaching point of view, I’m really pleased with how we’ve responded to Argentina and what that’s done to us and made us a better team.
“Also, the leadership has been excellent. Sione (Tuipulotu) has been outstanding as a captain, but that leadership group has really grown this year.
“They prepared the team really well this week. The players that didn’t get a chance to play, like Sione and Rory Darge, even though he wasn’t training, he really led this week.
“It’s been a positive season and there’s still a lot of growth in us.
“Little areas last week that we learned off South Africa and why they’re the world champs, we need to add those to our game and be a better team next season.”
Wales vs Japan VIP and hospitality tickets
Seat Unique is offering VIP hospitality tickets for Wales’ Nations Championship matches against New Zealand and Japan in November.
Slade nails his man
By Duncan Bech, Press Association Rugby Union Correspondent, Santiago del Estero
Henry Slade insists he was determined to nail his man as he emerged as England’s saviour against Argentina with a remarkable try-saving tackle at the death of a 31-24 victory in Santiago del Estero.
Slade raced to his team’s rescue three minutes into overtime with a “just get him out, any means necessary” challenge that edged Bautista Delguy’s finish in the right corner out of play.
Referee Angus Gardner awarded a try but it was overruled by video referee Brett Cronan in a lengthy and dramatic climax to an exhausting tour that has taken England to three continents.
Had Delguy scored and the conversion been added, Argentina would have snatched a draw.
Slade said: “Just get him out, any means necessary. Thankfully I was able to do it.
“It was pretty close in the end, but it wasn’t as close as they made it out to be. Touch is touch, I guess.
“It’s a nerve-wracking situation. You don’t know what the refs and the TMOs are going to do.
“From our perspective, all we could do was force him as wide as possible and keep scrapping right to the end.
“If we did that and they scored it, they’d have had to take a tough kick right from the touchline and we’d then put pressure on the kicker. That’s all we could do really.”
England finished their 25,000-mile Nations Championship expedition with two wins in three matches, a solid return given their brutal itinerary and their spirit is beyond dispute.
But their victory over Argentina was made far harder than it should have been following their customary disciplinary implosion, on this occasion losing four players to the sin bin to leave them playing nine minutes with 13 men.
Injury meant they actually finished the game with just 12 on the field and twice they were forced to repel Pumas fightbacks, initially having raced 19-3 ahead.
It was total chaos at times with players streaming on and off the pitch and England have now been shown 14 yellow cards and one red in eight Tests in 2026.
Slade said: “I didn’t actually know what position I was in at the end. I was changing from 10, to 12, 13, 15 – I don’t know!
“The desire and the intent from the boys and the never-say-die attitude is unquestionable. It’s just that we have to couple that with better discipline.
“Our discipline has been a thing we’re trying to work on because when we’ve got 15 on the pitch, we were a really, really top side.
“I can’t fault the effort and desire and intent of the boys, we’ve just got to find a way to keep everyone on the pitch. No one’s trying to get sin-binned, no one’s trying to get sent off.”
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