England predicted team v Argentina: ‘Unrelenting’ star to ‘spearhead’ Steve Borthwick’s men with key ‘shootouts’ decided
From left to right: Steve Borthwick, George Ford and Tom Willis
England head coach Steve Borthwick has named his wider 36-man touring party to head to the Americas this summer, and it presents a really good opportunity to try out some fresh combinations.
With a large chunk of the regular squad away with the British and Irish Lions, the England boss has turned to those previously on the fringes to fill the spots. Among the names chosen are 10 uncapped players, and 11 of the 36 also sit on less than 10 Test caps at the time of writing, so this is virtually a new-look squad.
With so much inexperience in the team, you’d think Borthwick will look to lean on co-captains Jamie George and George Ford a lot this tour, while still utilising other experienced men across the 23-man squad.
But, how is that side shaping up? Well, here is our take on a possible England side to face Los Pumas this summer.
15 Freddie Steward
One of several shootouts in this side is Freddie Steward and Joe Carpenter at 15, but the Leicester Tigers man just edges this one. As was proved in their victory over the British and Irish Lions, Los Pumas have a really clever kicking game, so having a player with the aerial prowess of Steward will be invaluable to the side. On top of that, he has really looked to take his attacking game on this season with the Tigers, and that again can be a benefit to England. His Test match experience is also a big tick in his box.
14 Tom Roebuck
While Carpenter might have to be patient for his shot, Sale Sharks teammate Tom Roebuck will likely get another start in this side. The winger has been in great form this season, be it for the Sharks or for England, and should carry that across to this tour. He posts a brilliant scoring rate of 14 tries in his 24 appearances this year, including two in three Tests with England, but it’s his ability to create a chance from nothing that will excite Borthwick the most.
13 Henry Slade
It’s been a pretty tough season for Slade, but his experience will likely make him a valuable member of the starting XV this summer. The Exeter Chiefs ace is one of the most-capped players in this team, with 72 to his name at the time of writing, and he also has previous experience of touring Argentina too from 2017, which again will only be a positive thing for this squad. When he gets going, he is such a silky ball-player too, and this tour could be the chance he needs to recapture his best form.
12 Seb Atkinson
Another shootout in this side is at 12 with uncapped duo Max Ojomoh and Seb Atkinson, but we’ve just got the Gloucester ace in this team. Atkinson was a real standout for England XV against France XV on Saturday, and seemed to fit perfectly into Borthwick’s system. His powerful strike running added some serious punch to the attack when needed, but he then combined it well with some deft handling and would often be seen at first receiver to take the load off Ford, which is a really promising sign.
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11 Cadan Murley
With Immanuel Feyi-Waboso suspended for the two-Test series against Los Pumas, you’d expect Cadan Murley to come onto the left wing. The Harlequins back had a fairly shaky debut, despite scoring a try and grabbing an assist, but this feels like a good opportunity to have a second chance at Test level. His electric pace and eye for a gap make him such an attacking threat, and if used properly, could cause some damage this summer.
10 George Ford
There is no way co-captain Ford would miss out on this selection. The Sale playmaker has been in remarkable form in the latter stages of the season, and while he might feel hard done by not to be with the Lions, he will only be a positive influence on this England side as a result. He is brimming with confidence right now, and that’s when we see the best of Ford; and when we see the best of Ford we usually see the best of England too. Around his performances, he will also bring so much experience to the group.
9 Jack van Poortvliet
Ben Spencer might want a word with us here, but Jack van Poortvliet is Borthwick’s man at scrum-half. The Leicester nine has a bit of pressure on him coming into the summer tour, given the form of Spencer for Bath, but he is also a solid player in his own right too. He poses a decent threat around the ruck, which gives that little bit of extra threat to England’s overall attack, and he has already proved to form a strong combination with Ford as well.
8 Tom Willis
Borthwick seems to be turning towards a more traditional number eight in his selections, and Tom Willis is exactly that. He brings a proper old-school vibe to this England team with his abrasive, unrelenting carries, but that should see him become the spearhead of the team this summer. The Saracens man is another who comes into the tour in superb form, particularly following his try-scoring display against France XV, and that again just bodes well for both him and England.
7 Sam Underhill
Toss of a coin stuff between the three number sevens, but we’ve got Sam Underhill in the starting side. The Bath flanker has proved time and time again that he is the ultimate Test match animal. Take his inspirational display against Argentina at the 2023 World Cup as the prime example of this, and no matter how much rugby he’s played before a big Test, he always delivers. While he might have missed the final four games of the domestic season through suspension, he was in spellbinding form prior to it and should hit those heights again this summer in the white jersey.
6 Ted Hill
While there is a proper scrap at openside, it seems Ted Hill is the bolted-on starter at blindside. Hill is another who has had to bide his time at Test level, particularly this Six Nations with just two brief cameos off the bench, but you simply cannot ignore his performances in the Premiership this campaign. He has the athleticism and pace of any outside back, but yet combines that with the sheer brute strength of any world-class forward. This is his time to shine.
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5 Charlie Ewels
With defacto locks Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum and George Martin absent this summer, this is a good chance to give someone like Charlie Ewels the break he deserves. The Bath man will likely serve as a key leader within this squad, given the relative inexperience around him, but he will also add some proper quality as well. He is also a premier lineout operator, a skill often overlooked in the modern game.
4 Alex Coles
Could almost copy and paste the above into here, but Alex Coles is also peaking at the right time. His performances for Northampton Saints in the latter stages of the season, especially in the Champions Cup final, were a true representation of his quality and that should really give Borthwick reason to smile. Coles will also really complement Ewels in the lineout, which is always a positive.
3 Joe Heyes
Tighthead is another hotly contested position, given the form of Asher Opoku-Fordjour this year, but Joe Heyes probably holds the edge. The Leicester prop has really come into his own this year, helped with some strong cameos off the bench during the Six Nations, and that should serve him well heading into this tour. His work at the scrum has also helped England’s overall progression in that department, and this is going to be a key area against Los Pumas.
2 Jamie George
Fellow co-captain George was also never going to miss out on this side. Like captaincy colleague Ford, he will just bring so much leadership and experience to this new-look group, but he is still a quality operator in his own right as well. The Saracens hooker is certainly England’s best lineout thrower, and he still looks to get himself about the park to good effect as well. Just a classy player.
1 Fin Baxter
Like Heyes, Fin Baxter has taken his game up a notch this year and established himself as a proper regular. He gave a good account of himself in the All Blacks series last year, his Test debut, and has only improved from that in the Six Nations as well. Baxter is also a properly attacking loosehead, which could get England plenty of change given the way Ellis Genge went at Joel Sclavi.
Bench: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Bevan Rodd, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Chandler Cunningham-South, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Alex Dombrandt, 22 Ben Spencer, 23 Oscar Beard
Borthwick’s bench should have a fairly familiar feel to it, given he still went for a 6:2 split last weekend in the XV game. Opoku-Fordjour is likely to come into the mix on the bench, and Ben Curry is also likely to feature in this capacity if he misses out on the starting side. Elsewhere, Chandler Cunningham-South and Alex Dombrandt offer serious oomph as back-row cover – meaning Hill could revert to lock – and Bevan Rodd and Theo Dan should complete the forward unit.
If Spencer does miss out on the starting side, there is no doubt he will feature from the bench, and Oscar Beard is also a good option for a 6:2 split bench given he can cover both centre and wing if needed.
