England were the first of the Home Nations to tour Argentina, and to take advantage of the recent International Board (IB) ruling that full caps could be awarded for matches against non-IB countries. It had been the intention to tour Argentina in 1973, but terrorist threats had necessitated cancellation and the side had gone to Fiji and New Zealand instead.
| 1981 England rugby union tour of Argentina | |||||
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| Summary |
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| Total |
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| Test match |
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| Opponent |
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 Argentina |
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Touring party
- Manager: Derek Morgan
- Assistant Manager: Mike Davis
- Captain: Bill Beaumont (Fylde) 30 Caps
| Player | Club | Caps | Position | Match Played | Score | Total points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tries | conv. | pen. | drop | ||||||
| Dusty Hare | Leicester | 10 | Full back | 4 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 37 | |
| Brian Patrick | Gosforth | 0 | Full back | 3 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 41 | |
| John Carleton | Orrell | 9 | Wing | 5 | 5 | 20 | |||
| Tony Swift | Swansea | 0 | Wing | 4 | 3 | 12 | |||
| David Trick | Bath | 0 | Wing | 3 | 4 | 16 | |||
| Paul Dodge | Leicester | 14 | Centre | 7 | 2 | 8 | |||
| Nick Preston | Richmond | 3 | Centre | 3 | 2 | 8 | |||
| Clive Woodward | Leicester | 8 | Centre | 4 | 2 | 8 | |||
| Huw Davies | Cambridge University | 3 | Fly Half | 4 | 4 | 16 | |||
| John Horton | Bath | 9 | Fly Half | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Nigel Melville | Wasps | 0 | Scrum half | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Steve Smith | Sale | 18 | Scrum half | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Steve Mills | Gloucester | 0 | Hooker | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Andy Simpson | Sale | 0 | Hooker | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Clint McGregor | Angouléme | 0 | Prop | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Gary Pearce | Northampton | 4 | Prop | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Paul Rendall | Wasps | 0 | Prop | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Colin Smart | Newport | 6 | Prop | 5 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Steve Bainbridge | Gosforth | 0 | Lock | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Bill Beaumont | Fylde | 30 | Lock | 6 | 0 | ||||
| John Fidler | Gloucester | 0 | Lock | 4 | 0 | ||||
| David Cooke | Harlequins | 4 | Flanker | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Nick Jeavons | Moseley | 3 | Flanker | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Mike Rafter | Bristol | 15 | Flanker | 4 | 0 | ||||
| John Scott | Cardiff | 18 | No.8 | 5 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Bob Hesford | Bristol | 1 | No.8 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |||
Matches
Complete list of matches played by England in Argentina:[1][2]
| 16 May 1981 |
| San Isidro Club | 14–20 | England |
| Try: Aguirre, Loffreda Pen: Loffreda 2 | Try: Carleton Swift 2, Smart Con: Hare 2 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires Referee: José María Cabanas ( ) |
San Isidro Club: F.Argerich; F.Sainz Trápaga, M.Perez Coba, M.Loffrede, L.Corral (F.Aguirre); R.Madero, A.Soares Gache; T.Petersen, R.de Vedis (capt,), R.Lucke; C.Durlech, M.Glestra; C.Seinz Trápaga, J.Perez Cabo, F.Insus.
England: D.Hare; J.Carleton, C.Woodward, P.Dodge, A.Swift; J.Horton, S.Smith; N.Jeavana, J.Scott, M.Rafter; W.Beaumont (capt.), J.Fidler; C.Smart, A.Simpson, C.McGregar.
| 19 May 1981 |
| Combinado Regional del Norte [note 1] | 12–36 | England |
| Try: Bobadilla Con: Sauce Pen: Sauce 2 | Try: Patrick 2, Davies 2 Carleton, Trick Scott, Preston Con: Patrick |
| Club Belgrano, Córdoba Referee: Ricardo Colombo |
Regional del Norte: G.Bustos (Córdoba); P.Bobadilla (Córdoba), R.Mas Dan (Córdoba), M.Ambroggio (Cordoba), Guran (Tucumán); G.Palau (Tucumán), R.Sauce (Tucumán); M.Martinez (Cordoba), R.Hyleveld (Cordoba), M.Espósito (Cordoba); E.Amador (Cordoba), R.Passaglia (Cordoba) (capt.); E.Rodríguez (Cordoba), H.Bianchi (Cordoba), J.Ferro (Tucumán), (A.Sanchez Salta)
England: B.Patrick; D.Track, R.Dodge, N.Preston, J.Carleton; G.Davies, N.Melville; D.Cooke, J.Scott, R.Hesford; W.Beaumont (capt.), S.Bainbridge; P.Rendell (C.Smart), S.Milla, G.Pearce.
| 23 May 1981 |
| Buenos Aires RU | 25–34 | England |
| Try: : Courreges, Sainz Trápaga Con: Beccer Varela Pen: Beccer Varela, Sanguinetti | Try: Dodge 2 Swift, Hesford Con: Hare 3 Pen: Hare 4 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires Referee: Douglas Kerr |
Buenos Aires: F.Argerich; A.Puccio (J.Palma), E.Sanguinetti, G.Lorenzo, F.Seinz Trápaga; G.Beccer Varela, A.Nicholson (capt.); J.Allen (C.Neyra), R.Sanz, R.De Vedia; M.Iachetti, M.Glastra; F.Insús, A.Courreges, P.Devoto.
England: W.Hare; J.Carleton, S.Woodward, P.Dodge, T.Swift; H.Davies, S.Smith; N.Jeavons, J.Scott, D.Cooke (B.Hesford); S.Baindridge, W.Beaumont (capt.); J.Smart, S.Milla, G.Pearce.
| 25 May 1981 |
| Combinado Regional del Sur [note 2] | 3–47 | England XV |
| Pen: Cutuk | Try: Trick, Carleton 3 Hesford, Preston Simpson, Melville Con: Patrick 6 Pen: Patrick |
| Parque Camet, Mar del Plata Referee: Carlos Gregotti |
Combinado Sur: L.Elissando (Tandil); D.De Pau (Mar del Plata), V.Cutuk (Sur) G.Paulucci (Mar del Plata) R.Bonavita (Mar del Plata); G.Pedroza (Mar del Plata), A.Valderrey (Mar del Plata); 0.Varade (Mar del Plata), M.Riego (Mar del Plata), J.Feullassier (Mar del Plata); D.Rotelo (Mar del Plata), B.Minguez (Mar del Plata) (capt.); H.Bruno (Mar del Plata), R.Rovere (Tandil) (N.Bosso (Mar del Plata), J.Quaglia (Sur)
England: B.Patrick; J.Carleton, P.Dodge, N.Preston, D.Trick; J.Hartan, N.Melville; M.Rafter (capt.), R.Hesford, N.Jeavons; S.Bainbridge, J.Fidler;
First test
| 30 May 1981 |
| Argentina | 19–19 |  England |
| Try: Campo 2 Con: Porta Pen: Porta Drop: Landajo, Porta | Report | Try: Davies, Woodward 2 Con: Hare 2 Pen: Hare |
| Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires Attendance: 28,000 Referee: Jean-Pierre Bonnet (France) |
| Team details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 2 June 1981 |
| Combinado Regional del Litoral [note 3] | 21–25 | England |
| Try: Minoldo, Minaldo Con: Baetti, Dip Pen: Baetti (2), Dip | Try: Trick (2) Con: Patrick Pen: Patrick Drop: Horton |
| Jockey Club Stadium, Rosario |
Regional del Litoral D.Baetti; A.Piscione; J.Escalante, A.Trini, D.Giner; M.Dip, R.Cestagna; C.Marengo, V.Macet, G.Minoldo (J.Comba); G.Milano, J.Mangimelli (capt.); C.Fernández, C.Cristini, A.Risler.
England: B.Patrick; J.Carleton, P.Dodge, N.Prestan, D.Trick; P.Horton, N.Melville; R.Hesford, D.Cocke, N.Jeavons; S.Bainbridge, W.Beaumont (capt.); G.Pearce, A.Simpson, C.McGregor.
Second test
| 6 June 1981 |
| Argentina | 6–12 | England |
| Try: Travaglini Con: Porta | Try: Davies Con: Hare Pen: Hare 2 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires Attendance: .000 Referee: Jean-Pierre Bonnet (France) |
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