England's discipline 'verging on comical' - Dawson
Former scrum-half Matt Dawson criticised England's discipline after four yellow cards in their 31-24 win over Argentina.
England's discipline issues persist
England's rugby union team secured a 31-24 victory over Argentina on Saturday, but once again discipline proved problematic. The visitors received four yellow cards in the second half, at times playing with 13 men. This prompted former scrum-half Matt Dawson to describe the team's discipline as 'verging on comical'.
Former players weigh in
Dawson, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, acknowledged England's progress but highlighted discipline as a major concern. 'The one question we will continue to ask is what on earth are we going to do with England's discipline? It's verging on comical. It's ridiculous how many cards this team have had so far in 2026,' Dawson said.
Former England wing Chris Ashton also commented, suggesting opposition teams would exploit this weakness. 'If you are playing against England, you know they are going to give penalties away and make some stupid errors that result in them losing games,' he told BBC.
Player and coach reactions
England player Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored the team's fifth try, acknowledged that discipline is 'a huge thing' and that the team must work on it. 'We can't be having games where we finish with 13 [players],' he said.
Head coach Steve Borthwick defended his side, emphasising their 'incredible spirit' and Henry Slade's last-gasp tackle. 'It's almost unfair to pull out one example but Henry Slade's tackle at the end was incredible,' Borthwick said. He also criticised the media: 'You're like the negativity committee.'
Argentina coach's complaint
After the match, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi accused England of showing a 'lack of respect' due to music and cheering coming from their dressing room. Contepomi asked an England representative to stop the noise, but when it continued, he walked out of the press conference.
