England’s Alex Mitchell and Jonny May, both left out of the initial World Cup squad, have been named in the starting team to face Argentina on Saturday, along with flanker Tom Curry, who has not played a game in over three months.
Mitchell, who was called up after injury ruled out Jack van Poortvliet, starts at scrumhalf in what looks like a move by coach Steve Borthwick to inject pace and urgency into England’s attack after their dire warm-up campaign.
He has six caps but this will be only his second start after last month’s Fiji defeat.
May, another late addition after Anthony Watson’s injury, starts at right wing, with Elliot Daly on the left in the team announced on Thursday.
Curry, one of the stars of England’s run to the final four years ago, returns at openside flanker having overcome a series of injuries.
Veteran scrumhalf Danny Care is on the bench and in line for his second appearance in a World Cup having played in the dead rubber against Uruguay in 2015.
He made his international debut in 2008 but missed the 2011 tournament through injury after being named in the squad and was overlooked by Eddie Jones in 2019.
Owen Farrell’s suspension opens the way for George Ford at flyhalf, with Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marchant in the centres.
Courtney Lawes will captain the team from blindside flanker while fellow international centurion Dan Cole is a surprise starter at tighthead prop, brought in for his scrummaging expertise.
SUSPENDED VUNIPOLA
In the absence of the suspended Billy Vunipola, the only specialist number eight in the squad, Ben Earl packs down at the back of the scrum.
“It’s an immense credit to Mitch in that he was incredibly disappointed not to make the original 33-man squad,” Borthwick said of his starting scrumhalf. “He’s trained exceptionally well.”
Borthwick will hope the return of Curry, one of the game’s best defenders and menace at the breakdown, will stiffen a defence that missed 27 tackles in the 30-22 Twickenham defeat by Fiji that completed a miserable World Cup warm-up series.
Curry picked up a hamstring injury in May, then injured his other hamstring and an ankle to keep him on the sidelines throughout Borthwick’s uninspired start after taking over from Eddie Jones.
England have lost six of their nine tests under Borthwick, beating only Italy and Wales (twice), and have been leaking three tries a game while struggling to score any, particularly through their backs.
The coach, however, promised that they would bring “all their passion and all their effort” against the Pumas.
“There’s a feeling that they’ve been written off a bit too early. People called time on them a bit too early,” he said.
“These players have got a hell of a lot more to go and they can’t wait to get stuck in on Saturday night.”
Argentina 30-29 victory last November ended a run of 10 straight victories in the fixture for England, who have also won the teams’ three World Cup clashes – all in the pool phase.
This is the first time, however, that the Pumas (sixth) have gone into a match ranked above England (eighth).
England team:
15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 26 caps)
14. Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby, 73 caps)
13. Joe Marchant (Stade Francais, 19 caps)
12. Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks, 53 caps)
11. Elliot Daly (Saracens, 59 caps)
10. George Ford – vice-captain (Sale Sharks, 85 caps)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
1. Ellis Genge – vice-captain (Bristol Bears, 52 caps)
2. Jamie George (Saracens, 79 caps)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 102 caps)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, 70 caps)
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 11 caps)
6. Courtney Lawes – captain (Northampton Saints, 100 caps)
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 45 caps)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens, 18 caps)
Replacements:
16. Theo Dan (Saracens, 3 caps)
17. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 82 caps)
18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 29 caps)
19. George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 3 caps)
20. Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints, 21 caps)
21. Danny Care (Harlequins, 90 caps)
22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 24 caps)
23. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 14 caps)