England U20 player ratings vs Argentina | World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026

England U20 player ratings: England booked their place in the World Rugby Junior World Championship semi-finals with a 40-38 victory over Argentina U20 on Tuesday at Avchala Stadium.

After a sloppy start from England, where they were close to going two tries down in the opening 15 minutes only for one try to be chalked off for obstruction, they regrouped and kicked on and led 28-12 at the break.

England continued to pile the points in the second half, although a leaky defence meant Argentina remained in the fight.

Consistent lapses in discipline left England down to 13 players in the final quarter, and they were suddenly holding only a two-point lead at one stage.

Andy Titterrell’s just had enough to hold on, though, and top Pool C by the skin of their teeth, holding out Argentina in the final play of the game following wave after wave of carries in their own half. Here’s how the players rated:

15 James Pater – 9
His support line and winding run gave England the platform to score their first try of the match. That was a common theme, where he often found gaps and lone tacklers in the Pumitas’ defence. Scored England’s second try, supporting Sam Winters and then stepping Bautista Lescano on his way to the line. Made the arcing run and pass to put Hugh Shields in for a break, which resulted in England’s first try of the second half. Wrapped round to link up with Will Knight on the left flank close to the line to score in the corner. Played a part in almost every try by England.

14 Tyler Offiah – 6
Perfect start to the match, reclaiming England’s kick-off. Like his performance against the USA, was quiet for much of the game and struggled to get involved in the action. His support line and stepping did help England escape a tricky area late in the match when they were clinging on.

13 Nick Lilley – 6
Penalty won over the ball to curtail some Argentinian momentum in the first half. Outside of that, there wasn’t much to write home about, making two carries and one pass in his 55 minutes on the field.

12 Will Knight – 8
Persistently beat tacklers with his punchy carries and smart lines, one of which opened the scoring for England to level the scores in the first half. The timing and precision of his passing right at the line helped unlock the Argentinian defence, particularly for England’s second try. Pulled off a quick pass in the second half to put Pater in for his second. A dual threat all game. A yellow card in the final 10 minutes for repeated offsides by England did stain his performance slightly and rob him of a higher rating.

11 Sam Winters – 7
Put Pater in for a break in the first half after a strong carry, where he got up off the deck and got the pass away. Another strong carry, brushing off two tacklers, put Pater in for England’s second try. Was England’s most reliable kick-chaser. Defence was questionable as Argentina scored their fourth try, going too high with a cover tackle. A catastrophic miss of the ball when attempting to kick to ball to touch in the final play almost was costly.

10 Hugh Shields – 7
Had the backline purring with his passing choice, and added a nice break at the end of the first half which resulted in Aiden Ainsworth-Cave’s try. Was breaking the line again soon after the break, picking Lucas Friday inside him as England scored their fifth. Kicking from the tee was near-perfect, although his kick-offs fell short of the 10 metres a couple of times. A costly missed tackle in the closing minutes saw the Pumitas break the line and score

9 Lucas Friday – 8
Ran the ultimate scrum-half, or Dupont, line to put Ainsworth-Cave in for a try and convert a break into points. Kicked nicely, distributed tidily. Defence and counter-rucking at the end, and more than once, won the match for England.

1 Oliver Scola – 5
Was penalised in one scrum for driving at an angle a quarter of the way into the match despite England’s scrum looking far more dominant. A sign that he, and England, perhaps didn’t get the rewards they deserved in that department, although he was also fairly pinged for going to his knees. Penalised again in the second half for losing his feet despite driving the Pumitas’ scrum backwards. Had some rotten luck in the loose as well, being held up in the first half.

2 Jimmy Staples – 9
Exploded through two tacklers from five metres out to score England’s third try from a tap move. The standout moment from a tight display, where the lineout not only functioned smoothly, but where he was able to hit the back of the lineout frequently. Effectively assisted Ainsworth-Cave’s try too, latching onto the lock to drive him over the line. All action and highly impressive, making a match-leading 24 tackles as well during his 75 minutes.

3 Ollie Streeter – 6
An inaccurate tip-on pass saw Argentina flanker Tomas Dande pick up the loose ball and run in from 60 metres. Poorly executed, but few would have expected it to be so costly in that area of the field. Didn’t affect him, and continued to offload in contact, including one powerful carry and pass to team-mate Elliot Williams. Great engine, making 14 tackles, and emptied the tank before leaving the field after 65 minutes, flying out the line in a defensive effort. Didn’t have the trouble in the scrum that his fellow prop Scola had.

4 Elliot Williams – 5
Maybe lucky to avoid a yellow card for being offside after England were warned by Christopher Allison. Did see yellow a few minutes later, playing Basilio Canas before he received the ball. Was otherwise industrious defensively, registering 18 tackles.

5 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave – 8.5
Powered over for England’s fourth try, which nicely summed up the physical dominance they had up front, particularly in the Pumitas’ 22. Scored his second early in the second half – a completely different try as he offered a support line following a break, which was all initiated by his link up with the backs earlier in the phase. England’s go-to man at the back of the lineout, which helped unleash England’s backline.

6 Tate Williams – 6
Tipped the physicality balance in England’s favour, giving his side superiority in the tight. His line speed was something that troubled Argentina all game. Going forward, he barely touched the ball.

7 Seb Kelly – 8
Carried hard, and got some good metres after contact and threw himself into many a breakdown. His defensive shift stood out, with one nice covering tackle following a Pumitas break on the left flank.

8 Connor Treacey – 8.5
Got England on the front-foot time and time again with his 15 carries. Put his head in some dark places at the breakdown, copping a head shot at one stage which resulted in a 20-minute red card for Benjamin Ordiz.

Replacements
16 Jerold Gorleku – N/A

17 Oliver Spencer – 6

18 Sonny Tonga’uiha – 6

19 Patrick Hogg – N/A

20 George Marsh – 5

21 Jonny Weimann – N/A

22 Finn Keylock – 5

23 George Pearson – 6