Matt Banahan's try 10 minutes from time ensured England managed to beat Argentina 16-9 in a poor quality encounter at Twickenham on Saturday.
But the Bath wing's score could not disguise the fact that for much of the match England lacked invention and rarely threatened Argentina's line.
Victory did give manager Martin Johnson his sixth win from 13 games in charge and eased some of the pressure on the 2003 World Cup-winning captain. However, England will have to up their game if they are to beat New Zealand when the All Blacks arrive at Twickenham a week on Saturday.
"There were lots of errors which put us in a bad place. It was going to be tough in the second half, there were a lot of nerves," said Johnson. "They put us under pressure, it was wet and it became a real dogfight. We could have lost at the end. It was tough to watch. The guys are happy to have won but disappointed with what they did.
We took two steps forward and one back."
It seemed that for the second match in a row, following last week's 18-9 loss to Australia, that England - showing four changes from the side beaten by the Wallabies - would be rendered try-less until they at last worked an overlap which saw Banahan go in under the posts.
But it was Argentina who, despite debutant centre Martin Rodriguez missing three penalties, appeared the more inspired and then laid siege to England's line as they chased the converted try which would have tied the scores.
After a low grade first-half, which ended in boos from the crowd, England were fortunate to be all square at 9-9.
The Pumas, without injured playmakers Juan Martin Hernandez and Felipe Contepomi, had kicked better out of hand and, despite the blustery conditions, ran the ball with purpose against an England team who seemed almost scared to give their backs a chance to show their skills.
England were drawn into a punting battle with the Pumas and found themselves coming off second best.
Fly-half star Jonny Wilkinson provided all of England's points in the first half, with a drop-goal and two penalties - and his boot looked the only way the hosts, playing in unfamiliar purple shirts, would score.
Rodriguez, one of a trio of Argentina debutants, kicked three penalties from five attempts.
World Cup-winning flanker Lewis Moody starred again, as he'd done against the Wallabies but, with full-back Ugo Monye struggling under the high ball, England's backs rarely looked like breaking through the Pumas' defence.
The closest they came in the first half was when Argentina captain Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, under pressure from Moody, knocked on and England wing Mark Cueto regathered.
The Sale flyer sprinted clear but was well tackled by Argentina full-back Horacio Agulla.
Early in the second-half, against an Argentina showing seven changes from the team that beat England 24-22 in Salta in June, Wilkinson had a chance to nudge the hosts in front but, for the first time in the match, was off target.
Cueto gave the crowd something to cheer at last with a bold counter-attack that took England deep into Argentina territory.
England won the ensuing lineout but, as the ball was worked across field, Cueto was well-tackled by Argentina right wing Luis Borges to snuff out the prospect of a try.
Just after the hour mark, Pumas hooker Mario Ledesma was penalised for a deliberate knock-on by Welsh referee Nigel Owens but Wilkinson missed.
And when Banahan became the latest England player to knock on, Johnson put his head in his hands.
Argentina's next international this tour sees them up against Wales in Cardiff on November 21.
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