A weakened English side make the trip to Argentina to take on Los Pumas in the first of two June Tests.
They may be without a host of their stalwarts but Eddie Jones’ England will still settle for nothing short of victory when they take on a full strength Argentine side in San Juan. The Argentines will also be rather keen to get the victory here after their Super Rugby franchise, the Jaguares, have endured another underwhelming season.
Argentina v England | Saturday 10 June | Estadio del Bicentenario | 21:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Argentina 7/10 | Draw 22/1 | England 11/10
Handicap
Argentina (-1.5) 9/10 | England (+1.5) 9/10
Argentina
England are in for a real test here. The Argentines, despite their woes in Super Rugby, are a quality outfit who tend to up the ante in front of their home faithful. Lead by hardman Augustine Creevy, the Pumas pack will look to assert themselves at the set piece as well as the breakdown. And with this fixture taking place in Argentina, the hosts are likely to get away with a bit more at the breakdown than they would have had the game been played in England or a neutral venue.
While the Argentine lummoxes up front will look to lay the platform, it will be up to Nicolas Sanchez and Martin Landajo to take advantage of any front-foot ball. The duo has developed a brilliant understanding and will be crucial to the Argentine cause. Another back to look out for is Joaquin Tuculet. The fullback has failed to hit the same heights during 2017 as he did in 2016, but if the English give him enough opportunities, he’s bound to bag a try or two.
England
Despite missing a plethora of their stalwarts to the British and Irish Lions, this is still are rather solid looking English side with veterans Dylan Hartley, Marland Yarde and Mike Brown all named in the starting XV. There is a youthful touch to this side though, with Tom Curry, Alex Lowzoski and Mark Wilson all handed run-on debuts.
It will be interesting to see how the aforementioned new faces cope with a hostile crowd and the pressure of a Test match. While Lowzoski has already played in a European Champions Cup Final, a Test match is an entirely different beast. He’s also playing out of position at twelve and the Argentines are likely to target him at every opportunity.
Verdict: England 11/10
I quite fancy England to just sneak this one. They have a solid enough side and the Argentines may be somewhat fatigued from their Super Rugby exertions. I’ll be having a small strike on the England win here.
Written by Darry Worthington for @Hollywoodbets.net!
