November Internationals 2022 – England vs Argentina – ARN Guide

After a three year wait, England and Argentina meet on Sunday in London. It is a preview of the pivotal World Cup match in Marseille, France and it is also a battle between the established England against a team exploding with potential to go far in 2023, Argentina.

The November test match is to be the only fixture between the teams in between Rugby World Cups 2019 and 2023. England enter with no shortage of veteran players dating back to well before RWC 2019. Owen Farrell captains England inside RWC 2011 mid-fielder Manusamoa Tuilagi. Fellow RWC 2011 back, Ben Youngs starts at scrum-half.

England’s backline also has two names who may explode at RWC 2023 – fly half Marcus Smith and fullback Freddie Steward. Meanwhile, there is an opportunity for the uncapped Alex Coles who will debut in the second-row. The familiar trio of Maro Itoje, Tom Curry and Billy Vunipola start as Eddie Jones’ back-row.

The replacements sees a first opportunity for Jack Singleton since 2019. He and the uncapped David Ribbans are the new names among the shirts numbered 16 to 23. Replacement center Henry Slade and loosehead prop Mako Vunipola played at RWC 2015.

The landscape has changed since England and Argentina’s 2019 meeting in Tokyo. On that day a team stacked with Jaguares players from the Super Rugby Final took to the field. Less than a year after that Argentina were gone from Super Rugby and the players moved to foreign leagues.

All of Argentina’s run-on team to face England now play in Europe. Captain Julián Montoya is one of six players that presently play in the English Premiership. It is in some ways a return to the 2006 side that Agustín Pichot famously led to victory against England.

At the time, Pichot was a former English Premiership player based in France. The English Premiership names that defeated England in London were Marcos Ayerza, Miguel Avramovic, Ignacio Fernández Lobbe, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, Juan Manuel Leguizamón and Gonzalo Tiesi.

While there were six starters playing in the English Premiership then as there are today, a difference of note is the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). The South American professional league provided the previously missing bridge from amateurism to the senior elite. Juan Martín González went from Los Jaguares XV to Los Pumas and in quick time also holds down a starting spot for London Irish.

Argentina is in a better position in 2022 than in 2006. England is better managed though issues in the game have seen the recent downfall of the Worcester Warriors and Wasps. Both clubs were home to players on the current Pumas roster.

Argentina are missing regular forwards Joel Sclavi, Mayco Vivas, and Guido Petti. Marcos Kremer is included forllowing suspension for Stade Français though Los Pumas are still without gamebreaking center Santiago Chocobares while Tomás Cubelli and Santiago Cordero miss the match with injuries.

Michael Cheika’s line-up sees a solid front-five. It is a powerful scrum and a unit that has produced wins this year against Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand. Pablo Matera continues at N8, a move that brings balance to the back-row as the world’s leading tackler from RWC 2019 and the 2022 Rugby Championship, Marcos Kremer and the dangerous yet busy Juan Martín González play as the flankers.

Gonzalo Bertranou is now the leading Pumas scrum-half. He joins Glocuester winger Santiago Carreras in the halves. The latter will handle the tactical kicking while Emiliano Boffelli will kick the goals. Veterans Jerónimo De La Fuente and Matías Moroni start in the mid-field while the inform Mateo Carreras will earn his first cap of 2022. Mateo Carreras and Santiago Carreras are not related.

The replacements see an opportunity for the uncapped Eliseo Morales. His rise to Los Pumas is of note; he played SLAR 2022 for Colombian side Los Cafeteros Pro. A second SLAR name is included with Ignacio Ruiz covering hooker. Lucas Paulos is set for his first cap of the year while Matías Orlando may join Newcastle Falcons teammates Mateo Carreras and Matías Moroni.

Argentina’s 2006 win over England remains the only time wherein Los Pumas have beaten England in England. The 2022 side is arguably the best positioned to repeat that outcome.

 

TEAMS

ENGLAND
1 Ellis Genge, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Alex Coles, 5 Jonny Hill, 6 Maro Itoje, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Billy Vunipola, 9 Ben Youngs, 10 Marcus Smith, 11 Joe Cokanasiga, 12 Owen Farrell (Capt.), 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi, 14 Jack Nowell, 15 Freddie Steward

Replacements: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Jack Willis, 22 Jack van Poortlviet, 23 Henry Slade

ARGENTINA
1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julián Montoya (capt.), 3 Francisco Gómez Kodela, 4 Matías Alemanno, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 6 Juan Martín González, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Pablo Matera, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 10 Santiago Carreras, 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 12 Jerónimo De La Fuente, 13 Matías Moroni, 14 Mateo Carreras, 15 Juan Cruz Mallía

Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Lucas Paulos, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Eliseo Morales, 22 Tomás Albornoz, 23 Matías Orlando

 

Date: Sunday, November 06
Kick-Off: 3:15pm (UK); 11:15am (AR)
Venue: Twickenham Stadium (London, UK)
Referee: Andrew Brace (IE)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy (IE);  Pierre Brousset (FR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (ZA)

HISTORICAL RESULTS
10-05-2019 – England 39-10 Argentina (Tokyo, JP)
11-11-2017 – England 21-8 Argentina (London, UK)
06-17-2017 – Argentina 25-35 Argentina (Santa Fé)
06-10-2017 – Argentina 34-38 England (San Juan, AR)
11-26-2016 – England 27-14 Argentina (London, UK)
11-09-2013 – England 31-12 Argentina (London, UK)
06-15-2013 – Argentina 26-51 Argentina (Buenos Aires, AR)
06-08-2013 – Argentina 3-32 England (Salta, AR)
09-10-2011 – England 13-9 Argentina (Dunedin, NZ)
11-14-2009 – England 16-9 Argentina (London, UK)
06-13-2009 – Argentina 24-22 England (Salta, AR)
06-06-2009 – England 37-15 Argentina (Manchester, UK)
11-11-2006 – England 18-25 Argentina (London, UK)
06-22-2002 – Argentina 28-26 England (Buenos Aires, UK)
11-25-2000 – England 19-0 Argentina (London, UK)
06-07-1997 – Argentina 33-13 England (Buenos Aires, AR)
05-31-1997 – Argentina 20-46 England (Buenos Aires, AR)
12-14-1996 – England 20-18 Argentina (London, UK)
05-27-1995 – England 24-18 Argentina (Durban, ZA)
11-03-1990 – England 51-0 Argentina (London, UK)
08-04-1990 – Argentina 15-13 England (Buenos Aires, AR)
07-28-1990 – Argentina 12-25 England (Buenos Aires, AR)
06-06-1981 – Argentina 6-12 England (Buenos Aires, AR)
05-30-1981 – Argentina 19-19 England (Buenos Aires, AR)