England v Argentina SUNDAY 4.10pm

[pjm1]

Agree with all that, FKAS. Our record against them (1 loss in last 15!) belies their recent improvement under Contepomi. They are a lethal attacking side and also good in the air on both sides of the ball. They make more line breaks than almost everyone so our defence will need to be tight. And lots of dominant tackles.

Hopefully Slappit Backwards has sorted out our poor lineout calling and execution from last weeks first half. Arg aren’t shabby in that area.

I actually feel similar to last week - I feel we should win but very very nervous and reckon 2 out of 5 could go against us.

Both benches look awesome but our scrum replacements look far stronger so hope that gives us a platform for the last 30.

[p/d]

We will get battered

[Stom]

So Ojomah plays. Insane to think we’ve lost Dingwall, Lawrence, Freeman, Roebuck, Chessum, George to injury… did I miss someone?

[Scrumhead]

Argentina
1 Thomas Gallo
2 Julian Montoya
3 Pedro Delgado
4 Guido Petti
5 Pedro Rubiolo
6 Juan Martin Gonzalez
7 Marcos Kremer
8 Santiago Grondona
9 Simon Benitez Cruz
10 Tomas Albornoz
11 Bautista Delguy
12 Justo Piccardo
13 Matias Moroni
14 Rodrigo Isgro
15 Juan Cruz Mallia

Substitutes
16 Ignacio Ruiz
17 Boris Wenger
18 Tomas Rapetti
19 Franco Molina
20 Pablo Matera
21 Joaquin Oviedo
22 Agustin Moyano
23 Santiago Carreras

Interesting lineup and has some interesting parallels to England's. With Dingwall out, we now have a rookie 12 with a highly experienced 13, which is a similar to dynamic to the Piccardo/Molina pairing.

That's a heavyweight back row for Argentina, but I think England should have the edge in the scrum. Conversely, I think Argentina will have the better lineout.

I'm a bit concerned about the scrum, Gallo is a canny operator that's been used for impact off the bench recently (if I'm remembering correctly anyway). Short and stocky LH who will be testing AOF's technical skills, not just a big LH he'll be able to get underneath. Massive pack as expected and agreed they'll be good at lineout time.

Piccardo is a unit of a centre, pairing him with the experienced and selfless Moroni should create a nice balance. I was expecting more size though with Chocoberas alongside Piccardo and the Pumas looking to exploit what isn't the biggest England centre combo. The Pumas 6:2 bench is pretty meaty up front with their two backrow subs capable of causing us issues. If Piccardo goes down though they will be left with a backline pretty short on carrying ability though, well unless we're all going to shove a backrow into 12 in an emergency.

Recent evidence suggests otherwise given Scotland dominated them in the scrum (even more so in the second half). Gallo is more notable for his play in the loose than at the set piece. As a more compact type of specimen, he might pose a different challenge to AOF, but I wouldn’t have picked him out as a difference maker in the scrum.

Piccardo was quite good against over the summer and definitely gives them a hard carrying threat. It’ll be interesting to see the head to head with Ojomoh.

It feels like Matera and Oviedo are almost a direct response to the makeup of our bench. As much as adding impact of their own, I’m seeing that as more of an attempt to counter to the impact from our subs.

[Captainhaircut]

Really worried about today. Feels like we’re missing too many against a really hungry, dangerous side who have been together for a long stretch.

By my count, we could name the 23 below from players capped this year (not including Murley, Muir, Dombrandt, Carpenter, Northmore, Beard, Oghre who have been capped plus Obano, Isiekwe, Ilione and Quirke who have been in recent squads). Would the below beat our starting side or Argentina today?

Rodd
George
Heyes
Martin
Chessum
Hill
BCurry
CCS
JVP
FSmith
Dingwall
Lawrence
Freeman
Roebuck
Furbank

Iyogun
Langdon
Davison
Clark
Kenningham
Randall
Atkinson
Arundell

[Oakboy]

If we make it 4 /4 with that lot in reserve, there will be genuine cause for optimism. Hopefully, everyone will be fit for the 6N.

[FKAS]

Interesting lineup and has some interesting parallels to England's. With Dingwall out, we now have a rookie 12 with a highly experienced 13, which is a similar to dynamic to the Piccardo/Molina pairing.

That's a heavyweight back row for Argentina, but I think England should have the edge in the scrum. Conversely, I think Argentina will have the better lineout.

I'm a bit concerned about the scrum, Gallo is a canny operator that's been used for impact off the bench recently (if I'm remembering correctly anyway). Short and stocky LH who will be testing AOF's technical skills, not just a big LH he'll be able to get underneath. Massive pack as expected and agreed they'll be good at lineout time.

Piccardo is a unit of a centre, pairing him with the experienced and selfless Moroni should create a nice balance. I was expecting more size though with Chocoberas alongside Piccardo and the Pumas looking to exploit what isn't the biggest England centre combo. The Pumas 6:2 bench is pretty meaty up front with their two backrow subs capable of causing us issues. If Piccardo goes down though they will be left with a backline pretty short on carrying ability though, well unless we're all going to shove a backrow into 12 in an emergency.

Recent evidence suggests otherwise given Scotland dominated them in the scrum (even more so in the second half). Gallo is more notable for his play in the loose than at the set piece. As a more compact type of specimen, he might pose a different challenge to AOF, but I wouldn’t have picked him out as a difference maker in the scrum.

Piccardo was quite good against over the summer and definitely gives them a hard carrying threat. It’ll be interesting to see the head to head with Ojomoh.

It feels like Matera and Oviedo are almost a direct response to the makeup of our bench. As much as adding impact of their own, I’m seeing that as more of an attempt to counter to the impact from our subs.

I think Puma scrum woes in recent times has tended to come from the lack of decent tightheads being available and them having previously had absolute monsters in the second row. Remember Petti was the smaller, mobile one that moved to 6. Now Petti is the big lock. Rubiolo next to him is a good player but he's at least two stone lighter than the pushing machine and general card collector Lavanini (a man Dan Cole said guaranteed you'd win the engage).

I'm expecting Gallo to pose a technical challenge to AOF who has been largely negated against the likes of Nicky Smith in the Prem on previous occasions. It's the bigger looseheads AOF has been notable for doing well at scrum time. A little contest I'm quite looking forward to.

Matera came off the bench to good effect last weekend. Given the Pumas bench swung the game last weekend I'm not surprised to see them add options there this weekend.

[FKAS]

Really worried about today. Feels like we’re missing too many against a really hungry, dangerous side who have been together for a long stretch.

By my count, we could name the 23 below from players capped this year (not including Murley, Muir, Dombrandt, Carpenter, Northmore, Beard, Oghre who have been capped plus Obano, Isiekwe, Ilione and Quirke who have been in recent squads). Would the below beat our starting side or Argentina today?

Rodd
George
Heyes
Martin
Chessum
Hill
BCurry
CCS
JVP
FSmith
Dingwall
Lawrence
Freeman
Roebuck
Furbank

Iyogun
Langdon
Davison
Clark
Kenningham
Randall
Atkinson
Arundell

Starting XV looks good. Bench looks very weak by international standards. Atkinson and Arundell aside the rest aren't troubling our 23 anytime soon.

[pjm1]

I think if Choco was starting I’d have Arg as marginal favourites. As it is, it’s bloody tight but hoping that home advantage sneaks us the win. Scotland looking like a shadow of their best against Tonga which might show how much of a drop off there is for them vs their 2nds.

[oldbackrow]

I think Scotland have been very lucky to get some help from the ref!

[FKAS]

Brilliant read and finish from Ojomoh there, he needed that after two rather nervous, if we're being generous touches, prior to that. Hopefully he finds his feet now.

England's attack looks good early doors. Hopefully we can keep it up.

[Galfon]

Ojomoh Max ..good poaching work.
Pretty cagey apart from that.
Eng 10 - 0 Arg after 12min.

[Galfon]

Arg can do the power play all day - unlucky not to have points tbf.
Eng pen. count showing the pressure - need to get up t'other end.

[FKAS]

That kick is weighted perfectly by Ojomoh. Absolutely spot on, he couldn't have placed that better. Good call by Ford to go the other way. Cracking score.

[Galfon]

Class Max - good to see risk from deep, in response to the space seen.
17 - 0, 26 min.

[francoisfou]

Can anyone give me a stream for the game, please?

[FKAS]

AOF buys a dummy from Moroni and Pumas are through but Ford blocks the scoring pass with his face and Steward mops up. Itoje receiving treatment is a concern.

The Pumas are 17-0 but do look like they could score points quickly if the game breaks up.

[Galfon]

17 - 3, 35 min.
messy scrum.
( soz ff, tv in pub !.)

[Galfon]

Successive Bombardments plan working - good chase by Daly.
Pen. miss by Ford though - need go bag those.

[Galfon]

Nearly skillful twist/turn by LCD - more points spurned !
HT 17 - 3.

[Captainhaircut]

I don’t think we’ve gone well here. Really needed that try before half time.

[fivepointer]

Odd sort of performance. We've hardly done anything in attack yet have a two score lead. Argentina will surely stop kicking so much. You'd hope we do likewise.

[Galfon]

Hope they won't regret not taking the easy 3.
Arg will play more ball in hand 2nd 'arf surely, when they look useful.

[Epaminondas Pules]

That was a bit dull. Be nice if either side actually did something ball in hand. Seems rather kick first think later at the moment.

[Galfon]

17 - 10, 45 mins.
Arg going through the motions after another midfield break.