England - with six Leicester Tigers in the matchday 22 - ended the international season with a 24-22 defeat in Argentina on Saturday.
Dan Hipkiss, Louis Deacon and Julian White were included in England’s starting line-up, and George Chuter, Ben Kay and Sam Vesty on the bench, while Tigers colleague Marcos Ayerza lined up at tighthead prop for the hosts.
Trailing 14-3 at half-time, England conceded a try early in the second half, but fought back strongly with Andy Goode punishing the Pumas with a succession of penalties.
Then wing Matt Banahan latched on to a break by Delon Armitage to score a try in the closing minutes, but it was just not enough.
Juan Manuel Leguizamon and Gonzalo Camacho scored the Pumas tries, with fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez adding three penalties, a conversion and a late drop goal to keep the home side just out of reach.
Argentina: Agulla, Leonelli, Tiesi, Fernandez, Camacho, Hernandez, Lalanne, Roncero, Ledesma, Ayerza, Alvarez, Albacete, Fessia, Leguizamon, Fernandez Lobbe. Replacements: Basualdo, Orlandi, Carizza, Lozada, Vergallo, Amorosino, Avramovic.
England: D Armitage, Cueto, Hipkiss, May, Banahan, Goode, Care; Payne, Hartley, White, Borthwick (captain), Deacon, Robshaw, S Armitage, Easter. Replacements: Chuter, Wilson, Kay, Haskell, Hodgson, Vesty, Tait.
Dan Hipkiss, Louis Deacon and Julian White were included in England’s starting line-up, and George Chuter, Ben Kay and Sam Vesty on the bench, while Tigers colleague Marcos Ayerza lined up at tighthead prop for the hosts.
Trailing 14-3 at half-time, England conceded a try early in the second half, but fought back strongly with Andy Goode punishing the Pumas with a succession of penalties.
Then wing Matt Banahan latched on to a break by Delon Armitage to score a try in the closing minutes, but it was just not enough.
Juan Manuel Leguizamon and Gonzalo Camacho scored the Pumas tries, with fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez adding three penalties, a conversion and a late drop goal to keep the home side just out of reach.
Argentina: Agulla, Leonelli, Tiesi, Fernandez, Camacho, Hernandez, Lalanne, Roncero, Ledesma, Ayerza, Alvarez, Albacete, Fessia, Leguizamon, Fernandez Lobbe. Replacements: Basualdo, Orlandi, Carizza, Lozada, Vergallo, Amorosino, Avramovic.
England: D Armitage, Cueto, Hipkiss, May, Banahan, Goode, Care; Payne, Hartley, White, Borthwick (captain), Deacon, Robshaw, S Armitage, Easter. Replacements: Chuter, Wilson, Kay, Haskell, Hodgson, Vesty, Tait.
