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England ’s campaign to win the Rugby World Cup ramps up on Saturday when Eddie Jones ’s side face their first tier one opposition in the form of Argentina .
The stakes are increasing with every match in Japan, none more so than in Pool C where England, Argentina and France are battling for the top two spots and a place in the quarter-final.
England remain unscathed so far at the World Cup, with 10 points from 10 after consecutive bonus-point wins over Tonga and the United States, while the Pumas rebounded from their opening defeat by France with a bonus-point victory themselves against Tonga.
But England also have the rare privilege of having a fully-fit 31-man squad to select from, making Jones’s task that little but harder in choosing the matchday 23 to face Argentina – and in particular the starting XV that will have to try and assert their authority over the South American side.
If England can find a way past Argentina, they will have booked their place in the quarter-finals earlier than any other side at this year’s Rugby World Cup, which would be something of a mini-statement to help strengthen their credentials in Japan.
Click through the gallery below to see our squad to face Argentina.
Show all 24 1 /24Predicted England team vs Argentina Predicted England team vs Argentina England vs Argentina Who should England team boss Eddie Jones select in his team to face Argentina? We make our selection based on all the latest news during the week.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 1. Mako Vunipola If he’s fully fit like we’ve been told, Vunipola could be thrown straight back into the mix. He has all the experience required to deal with such an occasion, and by having his presence from the start, you allow the injection of power and pace off the bench from Ellis Genge.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 2. Jamie George He will be crucial to England’s hopes of getting the forward-dominance required at the set-piece, with his lineout and scrummaging skills currently unrivalled in this England squad.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 3. Kyle Sinckler Revealed this week that he knew Eddie Jones would not select him to start until he improved his scrummaging to test-level. With Sinckler now promoted to No 1 in the No 3 shirt, there should be no concerns about going up against the Pumas pack.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 4. Maro Itoje Itoje was brilliant in the opening outing against Tonga as he dominated the lineout, and after being fully rested against the USA, he slots straight back into the side.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 5. Courtney Lawes Lawes appears to have gained a march on George Kruis in the second-row pecking order.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 6. Tom Curry The decision to deploy two openside flankers in the back-row appears to be paying off for Eddie Jones with both Curry and Underhill in good form. Curry may not be as prominent at the breakdown as he is when at seven, but he’s still very early in learning his role on the blindside.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 7. Sam Underhill Underhill looks set to return to the starting XV in the No 7 shirt after sitting out the USA game.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 8. Billy Vunipola A 12th consecutive start beckons for Vunipola to provide the bulk of England’s ball-carrying in an area where they cannot afford to come off second best.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 9. Ben Youngs Youngs still appears to be ahead in scrum-half pecking order, though Willi Heinz is giving Eddie Jones plenty to think about. With wet weather expected, Youngs will need to be at his tactical best.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 10. George Ford Looks to have emerged as Jones’s first-choice fly-half, at least when the team is expected to be in the front foot. Showed impressive leadership against the USA and his partnership with Owen Farrell is proving key to release the outside backs.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 11. Jonny May May is yet to score a try at this World Cup, though twice turned provider against Tonga before being rested against the USA. That said, May is a man who desires to score them himself, and he’ll want to see his name on the scoresheet sooner rather than later.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 12. Owen Farrell Farrell is a certainty on the teamsheet, the question is whether he wears 10 or 12. Jones is likely to stick with the Ford-Farrell axis, and we concur with Farrell filling the inside centre role.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 13. Manu Tuilagi After a necessary breather against the USA, Tuilagi returns to the line-up at outside centre in order to maximise the length of time he gets on the ball, giving him a chance to get a head of steam up and deliver another star showing like he produced against Tonga.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 14. Anthony Watson Is quietly going about doing his business very well, and looks to be settling on the wing that allows him to make the most of his attacking skills.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 15. Elliot Daly Finds himself under pressure somewhat, though he does at least seem to be Eddie Jones’s first-choice for the foreseeable future in the No 15 shirt. Daly does offer England a third playmaking option, and also possesses the rocket-left boot that keeps team honest around halfway.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina <b>Replacements:</b> 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie Has been one of the stars of the World Cup going under the radar, with tries in both of England’s games so far.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 17. Ellis Genge Beats Joe Marler to a place on the bench for the sheer explosiveness that he can offer, as we saw against the US. Can also be relied upon for a long shift if Vunipola isn’t quite up to it.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 18. Dan Cole If Genge is youthful aggression, Cole offers experienced prowess in the scrum and the ability to grind down games and keep a calm head as they tick towards the crunch.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 19. George Kruis Kruis is another who will be a huge asset to send on in an attempt to close out the games, with his skills in the lineout and carrying a welcome boost in the closing stages.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 20. Lewis Ludlam Emerging as one of Eddie Jones’s great finds, having starred in the victory over the USA and making a strong cameo appearance against Tonga.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 21. Willi Heinz Could force his way into Jones’s starting XV thanks to his accurate kicking, which will be crucial in the Tokyo rain, but if we’re going to select the current strongest XV Heinz has to make do with a place on the bench.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 22. Henry Slade The plan will have been for Slade to have seen a lot more action this World Cup than the 27 minutes he’s seen, but with Ford and Farrell in the starting XV and Slade able to cover both centre and full-back, his presence on the bench is welcome.
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Predicted England team vs Argentina 23. Joe Cokanasiga Just beats Jack Nowell to a place because of his two-try salvo last Thursday, but will need show a more clinical side to his game to keep Nowell out long-term after wasting a few chances.
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Jones announces his actual squad at 11:30am Japan Standard Time on Thursday 3 October, which is 3:30am BST.
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