Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature 1 min: Coles and Billy Vunipola start with England’s first transfers since Argentina’s opener. Ben Youngs then hits the box, Argentina No10 Carreras puts in a garage and Freddie Steward comfortably takes a mark.
Start of the first half!
Here you go. A blast of hymns, now. First Argentina and then a rendition of God Save the King. I’m not sure I’ll be knocking on the door, but it sure is coming down with the rain at Twickenham. The players are waiting in the tunnel. “There can be a lot of kicking,” agrees his colleague, Topsy Ojo. Robert Kitson There are some big rugby games this month, but Saturday’s World Cup final between the Black Ferns and England is right up there. Interest has soared in the past 24 hours that a world record attendance at Eden Park is now assured for a sold-out contest with the potential to catapult women’s rugby into another commercial stratosphere. Eddie Jones has a word: “We just want to improve every game… there are a few specific areas we want to improve, including team cohesion… I’m very happy with the attitude over the last couple of weeks. “You have to have an adaptable leadership team … we’ve had some good practice for that over the last couple of weeks. “Manu gives us an excellent forward, Owen is a good passer and kicker, and that will free up Marcus to play his big brand of rugby.” For Argentina: “They play with a lot of passion, which he [Cheika] he’s very good at creating.” Asked what is the best advice Jones has ever given him, Cheika dismisses the idea that the England manager is his elder: “It’s not really that kind of relationship. Even when we were playing it was more about a connection…similar background off the field…there is a bit of an age difference and I’m happy to say I’m younger. There is a lot of respect and friendship from before.” What are Argentina’s goals for next year? “I think it’s about building ourselves up the right way until the World Cup … we just have to learn more about winning, believe we can do it … you’re playing against the best teams in the world. Don’t let it down: Grow, learn and get to the place where we feel like we can go out there and win games.” Updated at 14:15 GMT A few bits of pre-match reading:
Team news
After a summer series win in Australia, England’s back line looks pretty exciting, with Manu Tuilagi returning at No 13 and Marcus Smith at No 10. Ben Youngs is back at scrum half. Notably, opposition-wrecking Maro Itoje wears No 6, with Jonny Hill and Alex Coles making up the second row. Billy Vunipola (No 8) and Tom Curry (No 7) are Itoje’s colleagues in the back row. England: Freddie Steward, Jack Nowell, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (captain), Joe Cokanasiga, Marcus Smith, Ben Youngs; Billy Vunipola, Tom Curry, Maro Itoje, Jonny Hill, Alex Coles, Kyle Sinckler, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge. Subs: Jack Singleton, Mako Vunipola, Joe Heyes, David Ribbans, Sam Simmonds, Jack Willis, Jack van Poortlviet, Henry Slade. Argentina is led by Leicester’s unstoppable poker player Julian Montoya. Look out for Gloucester’s Santiago Carreras at No 10 and Newcastle winger Mateo Carreras, too. They will no doubt also bring a strong backcourt, which Eddie Jones has just said has improved under their manager Michael Cheika. Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia, Matthew Carreras, Mathias Moroni, Jeronimo De la Fountain, Emiliano Boffelli, Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Thomas Lavanini, Matthias German, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Julian Montoya (captain), Thomas Gallo. Subs: Ignatius Ruiz, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Eduardo Beautiful, Lucas Paulos, Facundo Isa, Elisha Morales, Thomas Bathrobe, Matthias Orlando. Updated at 14:19 GMT Last night, Ireland defeated South Africa in Dublin: And France pulled off a brilliant win against Australia thanks to a late try from Damien Penaud: On Alex Coles, Northampton’s second row to make his debut: “We’re looking forward to seeing how it goes. “Let’s do the basics really well … especially against this team … and then we can build on that for the next three games.” Eddie Jones has thanked England cricketer Jonny Bairstow for a “fantastic” motivational speech for the players in camp:
Preamble
England will face Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa before the end of November in this Autumn Nations Series. Eddie Jones calls it a mini World Cup, and while that trashy sound has stuck, it’s actually a series of one-off revenue-boosting “friendlies” that will ultimately matter little in next year’s tournament. That said, Argentina and next weekend’s opponents Japan are both in Pool D with England in France and Jones’ side will begin their World Cup campaign against Los Pumas in Marseille on September 9. Jones’ former teammate at Radwick and long-time manager rival Michael Cheika has returned from Rugby League World Cup-leading Lebanon to take charge of Argentina at Twickenham today. Being well, the old Australian mates will have another crack at each other at the Stade Vélodrome next year. England returned from Jersey and the training camp which began with the Misogi activity, a ‘Japanese Shinto ritual purification practice’ also known as group bonding. The players also started to strengthen their physical condition with a view to peaking next fall. In a sense this is the day the official countdown to the 2023 Rugby World Cup begins: Jones and England will be determined to start as they want to go on. Start: 14.15
