Jack van Poortvliet was originally chosen to set the tempo, but he sustained ankle ligament damage and is now unable to participate in the tournament. As a result, Alex Mitchell has been given the opportunity, despite concerns about his game management. Mitchell has surpassed both Danny Care and Ben Youngs, with Youngs not even being included in the match-day 23.
The selection of Jonny May will bring much-needed speed and experience to the back three. May, who admitted considering leaving the England camp, has been prioritized over Max Malins and Henry Arundell. This selection suggests a potential change in the game plan. Additionally, it shows that Joe Marchant will remain in his preferred position rather than being moved to the wing, allowing for a more powerful midfield combination of Manu Tuilagi and Ollie Lawrence. Marchant has earned his starting spot, performing well during an otherwise lackluster August campaign.
Tom Curry’s return to the team adds power and experience to the back row. However, there are concerns about his match sharpness, so Lewis Ludlam is expected to receive significant playing time off the bench. Jack Willis, on the other hand, has been left out of the squad after a subpar performance against Fiji.
The selection of Dan Cole at tighthead over Kyle Sinckler and Will Stuart indicates England’s concern about Argentina’s scrum strength.
The question remains whether Mitchell and May can bring more attacking prowess against an Argentina side that, on paper, appears to be stronger than England’s lineup. It is undoubtedly a challenging task.
In the words of Lyndon B Johnson, “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” Head coach Steve Borthwick has encouraged his squad to forget past misfortunes and focus on winning against Argentina. A victory on Saturday would go a long way in dispelling the cloud that has been hanging over the squad for the past month.
Here is the England team that will be facing Argentina:
– 15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 26 caps)
– 14. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 73 caps)
– 13. Joe Marchant (Stade Francais, 19 caps)
– 12. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 53 caps)
– 11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 59 caps)
– 10. George Ford – vice-captain (Sale Sharks, 85 caps)
– 9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
– 1. Ellis Genge – vice-captain (Bristol Bears, 52 caps)
– 2. Jamie George (Saracens, 79 caps)
– 3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 102 caps)
– 4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 70 caps)
– 5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 11 caps)
– 6. Courtney Lawes – captain (Northampton Saints, 100 caps)
– 7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 45 caps)
– 8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 18 caps)
Replacements:
– 16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 3 caps)
– 17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 82 caps)
– 18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 29 caps)
– 19. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 3 caps)
– 20. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 21 caps)
– 21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 90 caps)
– 22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 24 caps)
– 23. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 14 caps)
This update on the England team’s lineup was provided live.