Match Preview – England vs Argentina

England play host to Argentina on Saturday. The match is to be the fourth between the countries over the last calendar year. It is, however, to be the final hit-out between the sides before their match at Rugby World Cup 2019 in Tokyo.

Saturday’s match is to be the 23rd test match between the countries. England has an overall record of 17 wins. Argentina has won on 4 occasions, including doing so in London in 2006. The teams also competed to a 19-19 draw in 1981.

In looking to go 4-0 against Los Pumas as England Head Coach, Eddie Jones has named a powerful line-up. Backing-up from the June Internationals are seven players who have been retained. This sees backs Mike Brown, George Ford, and Henry Slade in addition to forwards Dylan Hartley, Nathan Hughes, Chris Robshaw, and Sam Underhill all named to start.

Joining them are players back from the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. They include the fit-again Elliot Daly in addition to props Dan Cole and Mako Vunipola, center Jonathan Joseph and second-rowers George Kris and Courtney Lawes.

Jones enters the match with the full-backing of the RFU. The same is not true of Daniel Hourcade. Following back-to-back home defeats to England in June, a winless Rugby Championship campaign thereafter and also three defeats last November, Hourcade’s future demands two wins this month.

The do-to-die tour to England, Italy and Ireland begins with four changes from the side which played in the final round of the Rugby Championship. Of note is the beefing-up of the pack. Hourcade has gone for three second-rowers in the starting position, one of which will play flanker.

The return of Tomás Lavanini sees Marcos Kremer moving to the side of the scrum. Kremer was among the best performers for Argentina in the loss to Australia. He replaces Javier Ortega Desio in the back-row with Pablo Matera also starting and Tomás Lezana playing no 8.

Lavanini joins Matías Alemanno in a giant second-row combination. The more mobile Guido Petti misses out on playing against England. In his place Hourcade has opted for the versatile Benjamín Macome to feature from the bench, covering flanker and lock.

In the front-row Agustín Creevy and Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro again start. They are joined by Santiago García Botta who have gotten the nod over regular, Lucas Noguera Paz.

In the backs Martín Landajo will be joined by Juan Martín Hernández in the halves. The 35-year-old has amazingly been playing test rugby since April 2003. Nicolás Sánchez will feature as cover from the bench.

With Jerónimo de la Fuente not fit the inside center position again goes to Santiago González Iglesias. His mid-field partner will be Matías Moroni with Matías Orlando dropping out. Ramiro Moyano, Emiliano Boffelli and Joaquin Tuculet complete the starting line-up in the back-three.

Two regular scrum-halves have been named on the bench. Gonzalo Bertranou will cover Landajo with Sebastián Cancelliere to be a replacement winger. Cancelliere will make his test debut, doing so before playing for Los Jaguares.

The Europeans enter as firm favorites. Eddie Jones’ men won 2-0 in Argentina in June and won with 14 players last November in London.

The 25-18 win in 2006 over England in London was, according to some, the catalyst for what was to follow at Rugby World Cup 2007. It was followed by a home victory in Salta over England in 2009. Since then, however, England has won all matches between the sides.

ENGLAND
1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley (capt.), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Courtney Lawes, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Nathan Hughes, 9 Ben Youngs, 10 George Ford, 11 Elliot Daly, 12 Henry Slade, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 14 Anthony Watson, 15 Mike Brown

Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Danny Care, 22 Alex Lozowski, 23 Semesa Rokoduguni

ARGENTINA
1 Santiago García Botta, 2 Agustín Creevy (capt.), 3 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 4 Matías Alemanno, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Tomás Lezana, 9 Martín Landajo, 10 Juan Martín Hernández, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Santiago González Iglesias, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Ramiro Moyano, 15 Joaquín Tuculet

Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Lucas Noguera Paz, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Benjamín Macome, 20 Leonardo Senatore, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Nicolás Sánchez, 23 Sebastián Cancelliere

Date: Saturday November 11
Venue: Twickenham Stadium, London
Kick-off: 3:00pm local (12:00pm Argentina)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
Assistants: Nigel Owens (WRU) & Dan Jones (WRU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)