1981 England rugby union tour of Argentina

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. England had intended to tour Argentina in 1973, but that was cancelled following terrorist threats and the side went to Fiji and New Zealand instead.

1981 England rugby union tour of Argentina
Manager	Derek Morgan
Tour captain(s)	Bill Beaumont
Summary	P W D L
Total	07 06 01 00
Test match	02 01 01 00
Opponent	P W D L
Argentina	2 1 1 0

Touring party

• Manager: Derek Morgan
• Assistant manager: Mike Davis
• Captain: Bill Beaumont (Fylde) 30 caps

Player	Club	Caps	Position	Matches 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]

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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 (Argentina)

San Isidro Club: F. Argerich; F. Sainz Trápaga, M. Perez Coba, M. Loffreda, L. Corral (F. Aguirre); R. Madero, A. Soares Gache; T. Petersen, R. de Vedis (c), R. Lucke; C. Durlech, M. Glestra; C. Seinz Trápaga, J. Perez Cabo, F. Insua
England: D. Hare; J. Carleton, C. Woodward, P. Dodge, A. Swift; J. Horton, S. Smith; N. Jeavana, J. Scott, M. Rafter; W. Beaumont (c), J. Fidler; C. Smart, A. Simpson, C. McGregar

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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 (Argentina)

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) (c); 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 (c), S. Bainbridge; P. Rendell (C. Smart), S. Milla, G. Pearce

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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 (c); J. Allen (C. Neyra), R. Sanz, R. de Vedia; M. Iachetti, M. Glastra; F. Insúa, 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 (c); J. Smart, S. Milla, G. Pearce

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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); O. Varade (Mar del Plata), M. Riego (Mar del Plata), J. Feullassier (Mar del Plata); D. Rotelo (Mar del Plata), B. Minguez (Mar del Plata) (c); 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 (c), R. Hesford, N. Jeavons; S. Bainbridge, J. Fidler;

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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

Argentina England Daniel Baetti FB 15 FB Dusty Hare Marcelo Campo W 14 W John Carleton Marcelo Loffreda C 13 C Paul Dodge Rafael Madero C 12 C Clive Woodward Adolfo Cappelletti W 11 W Tony Swift (c) Hugo Porta FH 10 FH Huw Davies Tomás Landajo SH 9 SH Steve Smith Gabriel Travaglini N8 8 N8 John Scott Tomás Petersen ] F 6 F Mike Rafter Ernesto Ure F 7 F Nick Jeavons Alejandro Iachetti L 5 L John Fidler Eliseo Branca L 4 L Bill Beaumont (c) Fernando Morel P 3 P Gary Pearce Javier Pérez Cobo H 2 H Steve Mills Topo Rodriguez P 1 P Colin Smart

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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 (c); 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 (c); G. Pearce, A. Simpson, C. McGregor

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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 Referee: Jean-Pierre Bonnet (France)

Team details

Argentina England Daniel Baetti FB 15 FB Dusty Hare Marcelo Campo W 14 W John Carleton Marcelo Loffreda C 13 C Paul Dodge Rafael Madero C 12 C Clive Woodward Adolfo Cappelletti W 11 W Tony Swift (c) Hugo Porta FH 10 FH Huw Davies Tomás Landajo SH 9 SH Steve Smith Gabriel Travaglini N8 8 N8 John Scott Ernesto Ure F 7 F Mike Rafter Tomás Petersen F 6 F Nick Jeavons Alejandro Iachetti L 5 L John Fidler Eliseo Branca L 4 L Bill Beaumont (c) Fernando Morel P 3 P Gary Pearce Javier Pérez Cobo H 2 H Steve Mills Topo Rodriguez P 1 P Colin Smart Replacements Juan Pablo Piccardo C 16

Notes

1. The "Combinado Regional del Norte (Regional North Combined)" was composed of players from the provincial unions of Córdoba, Salta and Tucumán.
2. The "Combinado Regional del Sur (Regional South Combined)" was composed of players from the provincial unions of Mar del Plata, Sur and Tandil.
3. The "Combinado Regional del Litoral (Litoral Combined)", a selection of players from the north east of Argentina) was theoretically composed of players from the provincial selections of Rosario, Entre Ríos and Santa Fe. Nevertheless, the team that played England was composed of players from Rosario exclusively.