England move Buenos Aires base to avoid potential World Cup party
Steve Borthwick's side have been forced into a late change in a three-week intinerary that has taken them from Johannesburg to Liverpool to Buenos Aires and beyond
- Published
England's rugby players have switched hotels in Buenos Aires to avoid their return home being wrecked by World Cup celebrations should Argentina's football team beat Spain in Sunday's final.
Steve Borthwick's team play Argentina in their final match of the summer on Saturday (20:10 BST) in Santiago del Estero, 600 miles north-west of the capital.
But they will return to Buenos Aires on Sunday, before their flight home to London on Monday.
The team have been staying in a hotel off Plaza de la Republica – the square which, with the city's famous Obelisk monument at its centre, has attracted huge crowds in the aftermath of Argentina's World Cup matches.
An estimated five million people took to the city's streets to celebrate the team's World Cup victory in Qatar four years ago, and thousands partied deep into the night on Wednesday to mark a 2-1 semi-final win over England.
The square outside England's team hotel was a focal point for celebrations after Argentina's win in football's World Cup semi-finals
Borthwick's side, who watched the game in a conference room in their hotel, will now instead stay in a hotel near Buenos Aires international airport on the southern outskirts on Sunday night.
"I wouldn't suggest that everybody got a great night's sleep last night – there were still fireworks going off at 4am this morning," Borthwick said.
"Most of us were on the other side of the hotel and earplugs were issued to everybody, so we were prepared.
"I went up to the hotel terrace that overlooks the street fairly late and there were still a load of players just watching it and just taking it in. People jumping up and down for hours in the streets. Fireworks going off. It was something to see.
"We'd obviously all wanted England to win but one of the experiences of touring is seeing a spectacle like that in a different part of the world."
England flanker Henry Pollock added to the decibels in the hours before Wednesday's match, with footage emerging of the 21-year-old back row taunting local football fans gathering for the match in Plaza de la Republica.
The incident took place at England returned from a training session to their hotel on a bus. Footage showed Pollock goading fans from the upper windows, giving them a thumbs down, sticking out his tongue and waving and shushing.
'It was an experience' - George on witnessing Argentina's football celebrations
Argentina fans responded with gestures of their own, with one punching the bus windows.
"Henry's full of character," Borthwick said. "We want character in our game and we want character in our squad.
"This squad really embraces what he brings. It takes all kinds of different personalities and we've got some players who wouldn't do that and then you've got Henry who would go and do that.
"We embrace it. I think it was done in good nature and it came from a very good place."
England have won nine of their past 10 meetings with the Pumas, including both Tests while on tour without their British and Irish Lions last summer.
After their most recent meeting – a 27-23 win for England at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium – Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi was involved in a confrontation with England flanker Tom Curry in the tunnel.
England have named the same starting XV that beat Fiji 73-8 last weekend while Argentina's team contains a clutch of players based in England, including Bath full-back Santiago Carreras, Bristol centre Matias Moroni and Harlequins second row Guido Petti.
Argentina; S Carreras; Delguy, Moroni, Piccardo, M Carreras; Albornoz, Garcia; Vivas, Montoya (capt), Rapetti, Petti, Alemanno, Grondona, Kremer, Oviedo.
Replacements: Ruiz, Wenger, Delgado, Elias, Matera, Moro, Benitez Cruz, Cinti.
