Two tries give Pumas narrow win over England

By Rex Gowar

SALTA, Argentina (Reuters) - Argentina scored two tries, one early on in each half, for a narrow 24-22 win over England in the second test to level their series on Saturday.

Flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamon grabbed the first in the opening five minutes and three penalties by flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez gave Argentina a 14-3 lead at the interval following Andy Goode's solitary reply from a penalty.

Wing Gonzalo Camacho ran in the second try two minutes into the second half after a Pumas break from deep in their own half, but further penalties by Goode brought the visiting team back into it.

His fifth put England within reach of turning the match at 21-15 but Hernandez restored Argentina's nine-point lead with a drop goal before a sweeping late attack brought England's Matt Banahan his try.

The result means Argentina will regain fifth place in the next world rankings on Monday after losing the spot to England when beaten 37-15 in the first test in Manchester a week ago.

England manager Martin Johnson said Argentina's halftime lead was manageable but their try right after the break gave his team a huge task.

"It really comes down to that second half try, from 35 metres... You really shouldn't concede tries like that... They took it well, but we shouldn't have allowed it," he said.

"And that (Hernandez) drop really killed us off," he told a news conference.