England Make Key Changes for Pumas Test
Head coach Steve Borthwick has been forced to reshuffle his England side ahead of this Sunday's showdown with Argentina at Twickenham. The veteran duo of Elliot Daly and Henry Slade have been recalled to the starting lineup, providing experienced reinforcements after a disruptive wave of injuries hit the squad.
Injury Crisis Prompts Backline Reshuffle
The return of Elliot Daly is particularly significant, marking his first appearance since suffering a broken arm on the British and Irish Lions tour four-and-a-half months ago. He comes into the side on the left wing, replacing the injured Tom Roebuck. Daly joins Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Freddie Steward in a reworked back three.
In the centres, Henry Slade, 32, partners Fraser Dingwall. This change comes after hamstring injuries ruled out both Ollie Lawrence and Tommy Freeman. The half-back pairing sees Ben Spencer preferred at scrum-half over Alex Mitchell, with George Ford retaining the fly-half jersey.
Further changes are evident in the pack. With captain Jamie George unavailable, Luke Cowan-Dickie steps in at hooker. On the tighthead prop, Asher Opoku-Fordjour is handed just his second Test start. The bench once again features six forwards, including Tom Curry and the promising Henry Pollock.
Borthwick's Men Target 11th Unbeaten Game
England enter this contest in strong form, unbeaten in their last ten games. Their most recent outing was a historic home victory over New Zealand, their first since 2012. The team also boasts a perfect record at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in 2025.
Looking ahead to the Argentina clash, Borthwick acknowledged the challenge. "Last weekend gave us plenty to build on, and now the challenge is to push our performance further," the England coach stated. "Argentina play with emotion and physicality, and they’ve shown they can beat the best in world rugby this year. We know how dangerous they can be, and we are preparing for a fiercely contested Test match."
Borthwick also paid tribute to the home support, adding, "We have felt exceptional support at Allianz Stadium throughout this series. It provides a real lift for the players, and we hope to create lasting memories for our supporters on Sunday."
This will be the second meeting between the sides this year, after a youthful England side, missing its Lions players, secured a 2-0 series win in Argentina last July. Slade started the first Test of that series in La Plata.
England XV to face Argentina: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Spencer; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4 Maro Itoje (capt.), 5 Alex Coles, 6 Guy Pepper, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Ben Earl.
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Marcus Smith.
The match kicks off at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Sunday 23 November at 4.10pm GMT.
