Argentina v England preview: ‘Hungry and highly motivated’ visitors to clinch series against ‘desperate’ Los Pumas
Argentina number eight Pablo Matera and England counterpart Tom Willis.
Argentina will be desperate for victory when they resume hostilities with a confident England side in what should be an entertaining encounter in San Juan on Saturday.
Los Pumas’ desperation stems from the poor performance which they delivered in last weekend’s corresponding fixture in La Plata when they came off second best in most departments en route to a 35-12 defeat.
That result was a surprising one as the home side had their tails up ahead of that Test after claiming a surprising 28-24 victory over the British & Irish Lions ahead of the famous touring team’s tour to Australia.
Under the guidance of head coach Felipe Contepomi, Los Pumas have shown considerable improvement, and after he took over the coaching reins last year, they showed their class by beating South Africa, New Zealand and Australia during last year’s Rugby Championship.
Argentina’s defeat to England in the opening Test will thus be seen as a setback, particularly as their opponents were without 14 of their first-choice players who have been involved in the British & Irish Lions tour Down Under.
On the flipside, England head coach Steve Borthwick and his charges deserve plenty of credit for that win, as it was fairly convincing in the end, as they held the upper hand in most departments.
Another positive result against Los Pumas will be a major boost for Borthwick as he would’ve made great strides in building depth in his ranks.
If they achieve that goal, it will mean that they have won 11 out of their last 12 Tests against Argentin,a and they will have a spring in their step ahead of the final Test of their Summer tour against the United States on July 19 in Washington D.C.
Where the game will be won
Just like last week’s first Test, this will be a battle of contrasting styles, with the home side relying on an expansive style of play while their opponents will be more structured in their approach. Like most games, the forward battle will be huge, especially in the set-pieces, where the Red Rose will be hoping to build on last weekend’s performance while Los Pumas will be determined to show considerable improvement.
Whoever dominates the forward exchanges will set a solid platform for their backs, but holding the upper hand in that facet of play will not be the only crucial aspect on the road to victory. Dominating up front is only half of the battle won, and whoever has the edge there will have to make good use of the possession which comes their way. Outstanding game management will also be crucial, and if a side has the bulk of the possession and plays a good attacking game in the right areas of the field, they should be triumphant.
Last time they met
What they said
After last week’s memorable victory, Borthwick has kept faith with the side which started in La Plata and only made one injury-enforced change with Luke Northmore coming in to make his first England start as a replacement for Henry Slade.
England’s coach is not underestimating his opponents but expects his side to build on last week’s triumph.
“We know what a dangerous side Argentina are and how we are going to counter them defensively,” Borthwick said. “What you’ve also seen with this England team is that it is one which runs hard and is conditioned to run hard.
“Luke does exactly that. His post-contact metres are very good. He gives us an opportunity with his power.”
Players to watch
If the home side want to turn the tables in this encounter, then they need their chief playmaker, Santiago Carreras, to be at his best. The 27-year-old Bath-bound fly-half has a keen eye for the gap, is a good tactical kicker, and he also has the ability to keep the scoreboard ticking with excellent goal-kicking. He will have to produce the goods in all the aforementioned departments if Argentina want to be victorious.
Meanwhile, veteran second-rower Guido Petti‘s return to Argentina’s starting line-up will be a shot in the arm for the home side as his presence should have a positive effect on his team-mates. The Bordeaux-Begles star will be a valuable source of lineout possession for Los Pumas, while he will also be expected to put his side on the front foot with strong ball carrying ability and despite his large frame, he is also handy at the breakdowns.
Another player who will be determined to make an impact is star front-rower Thomas Gallo, who has been promoted to the run-on side after impressing when coming off the replacements bench in the second half of last week’s defeat in La Plata. A strong ball carrier who knows his way to the try-line, the 26-year-old will be keen to test England’s defence with some barnstorming runs while also giving his side an edge in the tight phases, especially the scrums.
England head coach Steve Borthwick sprung a surprise by bringing Luke Northmore into his run-on side as a replacement for the injured Henry Slade, but the Harlequins star will be keen to make full use of the opportunity presented to him in what will be his first Test start. Although he plays mostly at inside centre for his club, Northmore’s direct running style is one of his strengths, and if he shines with ball in hand, he could give his side good momentum.
Meanwhile, the experience of the Red Rose’s co-captains Jamie George and George Ford will be crucial in the bigger scheme of things, and this duo’s leadership skills and decision-making will have to be of a high standard throughout. The duo dovetailed superbly during the first Test while the extra responsibility of leadership did not affect the way they played the game. George impressed in the execution of his core duties, while Ford did well on attack and was solid off the kicking tee. More of that from both players will be welcomed this weekend.
Main head-to-head
A key battle which could have a big impact on the outcome of this game is the one between the two number eights, Argentina’s Pablo Matera and England’s Tom Willis. Matera has been shifted to the base of the scrum as a replacement for Facundo Isa after starting on the blindside flank in La Plata. An experienced campaigner who will make his 111th appearance for his country and, in doing so, break Agustin Creevy’s record as Argentina’s most capped Test player, Matera is an intelligent player who is brilliant on attack and defence.
He is sure to test England’s defence with ball in hand and will also be competitive at the breakdowns, but can expect a tough challenge from his direct opponent Willis, who was one of the Red Rose’s star performers in the first Test against Argentina. The Saracens star proved a handful on attack and also won two crucial turnovers, but knows he faces a tough challenge from Matera, who is one of the game’s best back-rowers, and their duel should be one of the highlights of this game.
Prediction
After dominating proceedings last weekend en route to a deserved victory in La Plata, England will face a sterner test against their host, who will come to the fore with a more polished display. Despite the improvement from Los Pumas, this is a hungry and highly motivated Red Rose unit, and although this will be a tighter affair, they should be victorious again. England to win by 10 points.
Previous results
2024: England won 35-12 in La Plata
2023: England won 26-23 in Saint-Denis
2023: England won 27-10 in Marseille
2022: Argentina won 30-29 in London
2019: England won 39-10 in Chofu
2017: England won 21-8 in London
2017: England won 35-25 in Santa Fe
2017: England won 38-34 in San Juan
The teams
Argentina: 15 Benjamin Elizalde, 14 Matias Moroni, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Justo Piccardo, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 10 Santiago Carreras, 9 Simon Benitez Cruz, 8 Pablo Matera, 7 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 6 Santiago Grondona, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Pedro Delgado, 19 Lucas Paulos, 20 Facundo Isa, 21 Benjamin Grondona, 22 Agustin Moyano, 23 Nicolas Roge
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Will Muir, 10 George Ford (cc), 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Ben Curry, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Charlie Ewels, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (cc), 1 Fin Baxter
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Chandler Cunningham-South, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Alex Dombrandt, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Cadan Murley
Date: Saturday, July 12
Venue: Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan
Kick-off: 16:40 local (20:40 BST, 19:40 GMT)
Referee: Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
FPRO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
