Rugby World Cup: Ben Youngs savours ending record-breaking England career with bronze-final win over Argentina

England scrum-half Ben Youngs bowed out after a men’s record 127 Test caps on the winning team as they defeated Argentina 26–23 in the bronze final of the Rugby World Cup; fellow retiring international Courtney Lawes believes improving cohesion will be key for England in the future

Ben Youngs could barely hide his joy as he signed his international career on a high as England held on to win over Argentina in the bronze final of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The scrum-half made his 127th and final appearance in the match in Paris, where he was named as starting number 9, and went down as the most capped men’s player in England history when he was replaced by Danny Care in the 52nd minute.

Youngs then had to watch as his teammates braved a late attack from Los Pumas before securing a 26-23 win and third place at this year’s global meeting, going some way to making up for the disappointment of last Saturday’s semi-final. final defeat against South Africa.

“I’m just happy the boys got the result – and it was hard-fought,” Youngs said ITV. “There wasn’t too much movement in the legs for a lot of those guys who tried to put in a huge effort last week.

“We stuttered and didn’t quite get into our rhythm, but we found a way. We’re happy to finish with a win and ultimately we wanted to be here tomorrow night (Saturday) but we couldn’t, and tonight is a nice win .

“The game has given me so much, I have built huge friendships and bonds – not just with this England team, but with guys I have played against for many years. Rugby is a special sport where you have a bond and a friendship.

“I have a wealth of memories that will last well beyond my career, rugby has given me a huge amount and I am very grateful. I am happy that we got the win, and I will have a beer and enjoy one last time tonight times from the boys’ company.”

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James Cole outlines how England beat Argentina 26-23 in the Rugby World Cup bronze final and what lies ahead for Steve Borthwick’s men

Another member of the squad who has already confirmed his intention to retire from his international career is Courtney Lawes, although the back row could not add to his 103 England caps after being left out for the bronze final on matchday 23.

Nevertheless, the 34-year-old cheered on his teammates from the sidelines and is excited to see where the next generation of players and head coach Steve Borthwick take England as they start to turn their attention to the next World Cup in Australia. 2027.

“It’s a bit strange and it’s been a strange week, but I’m very pleased with my years of service and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the team goes, continuing for the future and hopefully having a very good year to give.” crack at the next World Cup,” Lawes said ITV.

“Our cohesion is the most important thing for us (to improve). We haven’t spent a lot of time as a full coaching staff and full squad. We’ve had five months to get where we did and we have a We now have some more time to build, but we have to take a step forward every time we step on that field.

Courtney Lawes had previously announced his intention to retire from international rugby

“It’s a bit of a changing of the guard and the end of an era for many of us. They are incredible servants of the sport and England, and it has honestly been my privilege to play with many of these players.”

One of those already claiming to be part of Borthwick’s plans is hooker Theo Dan, who recovered from letting Argentina’s Santiago Carreras slip through a tackle on his way to scoring a try two minutes into the second half, after which he rushed in a kick of the ball. fly-half and scored himself a minute later.

The 22-year-old believes the hard-fought nature of the victory over Argentina at the Stade de France showed qualities that England will want to show more of in the new era for the national team.

“Our poor discipline got them back into the game, but we are a team that gets results, and I’m proud to be part of this team and happy to get the bronze,” Dan said. ITV.

“We are incredibly disappointed and heartbroken about what happened last weekend. The performance we achieved was one we can be proud of, and we said we didn’t want this to be a one-off event.

“We want to build; we want to be a new England team – a team that doesn’t go away and gets results. Today was a step forward to achieve that.”