England boss Andy Robinson has made just one change for the world champions’ clash against Argentina at Twickenham on Saturday.
Despite the Twickenham record 40-21 loss to World Cup favourites New Zealand two years ago, head coach Robinson has resisted the temptation to make wholesale switches.
Perpignan prop Perry Freshwater takes over from Andrew Sheridan as the only alteration, although Wasps lock Tom Palmer, uncapped Newcastle centre Toby Flood and fit-again World Cup winner Josh Lewsey all feature on the bench.
Palmer replaces Chris Jones, with Flood in for Leicester fly-half Andy Goode and Lewsey preferred to his club colleague – full-back Mark Van Gisbergen.
Lewsey has made a rapid recovery from a knee injury which forced him off during Wasps’ Heineken Cup defeat against Perpignan, and could now win his first cap since last season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.
An agreement between England and Premier Rugby means Robinson will not field the same player in more than three of the autumn Tests – his team face back-to-back appointments with South Africa later this month – so changes for one of the Springbok clashes are inevitable.
Robinson’s immediate priority though, is to halt a run of six successive defeats stretching back to a Six Nations victory over Italy in Rome almost nine months ago.
England have not lost seven straight matches since 1972, but that is the stark statistic facing Robinson’s team if they come unstuck against a quality Pumas outfit.
