The Rugby World Cup continues with a large Pool D conflict in Marseille this night. The two favourites to advance from the ultimate group lock horns within the headline fixture of day two, with England determined to make a quick begin to silence their rising military of critics following a dreadful build-up to the event.
It has been a harrowing 2023 for England to date, dropping six of their first 9 matches beneath new head coach Steve Borthwick, who's already feeling the strain. Such a run has included a file humbling by France and first-ever loss to Fiji, leaving them a lowly eighth within the newest world rankings - two spots beneath tonight’s opponents Argentina, who pulled off a deserved victory at Twickenham final autumn.
But all the mounting negativity could possibly be immediately swept away with a gap win over the bodily Pumas, who put 62 factors on Spain of their closing warm-up Test having completed third at the latest Rugby Championship. Follow England vs Argentina dwell beneath, with knowledgeable evaluation from Standard Sport’s Nick Purewal on the Stade Velodrome!
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Standard Sport’s rugby correspondent Nick Purewal has arrived on the Stade Velodrome, with Marseille basking within the warmth.
It’s nonetheless round 27 levels in the meanwhile at 7pm native time.
The Pumas are maybe the worst kind of opponent for England to play of their World Cup opener. Talented, bodily, dogged and decided, it is going to be fascinating to see if the Red Rose can raise themselves out of the doldrums.
Even if they will, they could battle nonetheless and Argentina may show too ruthless as they search an announcement victory, having additionally beat England at Twickenham for the primary time in 16 years final autumn.
Toulouse’s Juan Cruz Mallia is again for Argentina tonight, beginning at 15 and likewise offering fly-half cowl for Gloucester’s Santiago Carreras.
Michael Cheika, clearly anticipating an ultra-physical showdown on the Stade Velodrome, has beefed up his Pumas bench with a further ahead to make it a 6-2 cut up.
"We have a lot of confidence in Mallia and in his role," former Australia coach Cheika stated this week.
"The first game he played for Toulouse was at fly-half. (He will) touch the ball many times more when he plays at fly-half, a position that requires more responsibility.”
Argentina are captained by Leicester hooker Julian Montoya.
The headline team news from an England perspective is that two players who did not even make Steve Borthwick’s original World Cup squad start the Pool D opener in Marseille.
With Jack van Poortvliet and Anthony Watson both lost for the whole tournament through injury, Northampton’s six-cap livewire Alex Mitchell is expected to turbo-charge the attack from scrum-half after being picked ahead of veterans Ben Youngs and Danny Care.
On the wing Borthwick has opted for the vast experience of Jonny May, called up instead of the likes of younger trio Cadan Murley, Adam Radwan and Tommy Freeman.
George Ford partners Mitchell at half-back and Courtney Lawes takes the armband again with Owen Farrell suspended for the first two matches in France.
Ben Earl deputises at number eight with Saracens team-mate Billy Vunipola also banned.
England XV: Steward; May, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, George, Cole; Itoje, Chessum; Lawes (c), Curry, Earl
Replacements: Dan, Marler, Stuart, Martin, Ludlam, Care, Smith, Lawrence
Argentina XV: Mallia; Boffelli, Cinti, Chocobares, M Carreras; S Carreras, Bertranou; Gallo, Montoya (c), Kodela; Alemanno, Lavanini; Matera, Kremer, Gonzalez
Replacements: Creevy, Sclavi, Bello, Petti, Rubiolo, Bruni, Velez, Moroni
TV channel: In the UK, tonight’s game will be broadcast live on free-to-air channel ITV1, with coverage starting at 7:15pm.
Live stream: Fans will be able to watch a free live stream online via the ITVX website and app.
England’s 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign starts here.
It’s been a horrendous build-up to the tournament by anyone’s standards, but Steve Borthwick’s side remain confident nevertheless and are aiming to shut off all the mounting negativity generated by a woeful year thus far and hopefully issue a stern riposte to their critics with a rousing victory over main Pool D rivals Argentina in Marseille.
A win would be a mighty relief for Borthwick after six defeats from his first nine games in charge as Eddie Jones’ successor, while yet another loss would certainly not spell the end for England’s World Cup hopes already, but it would certainly make their task tougher and pile on yet more questions and pessimism over the future of the team.
Kick-off in the headline fixture of a four-game day two is at 8pm BST, so stay tuned for all the latest team news plus lineups and match build-up.
We’ll have blow-by-blow updates after kick-off, featuring expert analysis from the Evening Standard’s rugby correspondent Nick Purewal at the Stade Velodrome.
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