Rugby World Cup Masterclass: 3 reasons England kicked down the door on Argentina in RWC Round 1

England's 2023 Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina was a true reminisce of rugby's Golden Age from the 1990s and 2000s.

Fans would've been reasonable to expect a closely contested affair with a scoreline ranging in the 20s. Instead, they got a one-sided duel with a score deficit of 17 points, defined by the dropkicks of English flyhalf George Ford.

Although Argentina's defence against England's try-scoring attempts held firm, the Roses remained a step ahead, capitalising on the smallest of opportunities. Without scoring a single try, the Red and Whites spent the game pulling away to a 27-10 win, thanks to the boot of George Ford.

On that note, on the heels of one of the strangest Rugby World Cup games we've seen in a long time, let's dive into the three key reasons for the Roses' masterclass on Sept. 9.

Reasons for England's sensational Rugby World Cup victory over Argentina

Here are three reasons:

#3) Overcoming a devastating red card

The magnitude and importance of this game made for a tense affair right from the word go. However, the English were handed a tremendous blow in the third minute when a reckless tackle by flanker Tom Curry saw him booked with a red card.

With the Red and Whites down a man early, Argentina's outlook for the rest of the game was bright, as they played with an overlap simply when having the ball. England compensated masterfully for their shortage in manpower, exploiting anything remotely close to an opportunity.

By playing hard-gitting rugby up front and limiting the Pumas' wide balls, the Roses contained their opposition's onslaught to eventually overcome a red card most teams would've succumbed to.

#2) The Pumas lacked the discipline to capitalize on the Roses' red card

Despite England's red card in the opening minutes and Argentina's bright prospects for the remaining 77 minutes, the latter still failed to make the most of their favorable situation. That came largely on the back of Argentina conceding a concerning 11 penalties.

Their lack of discipline at the breakdown provided the Red and Whites with ample opportunity to fight back in the face of a one-man deficit. Despite the world-class quality of players on both sides, England had their priorities straight, emphasizing efficiency at ruck time.

#1) George Ford's masterclass

England flyhalf George Ford put up a career performance on the World Cup stage. As his team aimed to capitalize on every possible opportunity, he happened to be in the driver's seat with his clinical right boot.

The 30-year-old flyhalf gave a kicking show from the '90s, clocking six penalties and three dropgoals en route to scoring all of the Roses' 27 points.

Virtually whenever the Red and Whites were in range, the veteran would drop into the pocket for a dropkick. Whenever he was called upon for a penalty at goal, he kept the scoreboard ticking.

Thanks to his team's combined effort, he wrote his name into the record books as one of the highest single-game scorers in Rugby World Cup history.