More Width, More Speed, More Air - England Attack Faces Tough Pumas Test

Quilter Nations Series: England v Argentina

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Sunday, 23 November Kick-off: 16:10 GMT

Coverage: Live connected BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Sports Extra pinch unrecorded matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app

The baggage is unavoidable.

So Clarin, Argentina's biggest newspaper, steered consecutive into it instead.

In nan first 2 lines of their preview of Sunday's match, "history, politics, nan Falklands War and England's persistent imperialist views" were each referenced., external

The communicative of a teenage Federico Mendez ironing retired England 2nd statement Paul Ackford pinch a blindside haymaker 35 years agone was retold.

On Thursday, Franco Molina threw successful different portion of nan Anglo-Argentine backmost story.

"It was a goal, nan referee gave it, it was a goal!," nan Argentina 2nd statement said, recalling Diego Maradona's contentious 'Hand of God' extremity successful nan 1986 quarter-final gathering astatine nan shot World Cup.

But it was each pinch a smile.

If each that history is being brewed up arsenic pep-talk kerosene, Molina, who spent past play playing for Exeter, hid it well.

For him location was excessively overmuch to get excited astir successful nan 80 minutes to come, without dredging up nan past.

"It is simply a large game, conscionable because of nan discourse of nan world game," he said.

"It is really typical playing astatine Twickenham.

"It is going to beryllium a really beingness crippled and each English squad is tidy successful what they do, each nan kicks from nan field, each nan play pinch nan shot successful hand.

"We will request to beryllium really connected and precise crossed nan full 80 minutes to hit them."

As an appraisal of England, it was beautiful accurate.

The hosts are connected a rotation of 10 consecutive wins. Like Molina, England fans are beautiful excited astir Sunday too.

Attack coach Lee Blackett, primitively seconded from Bath for nan summertime circuit of nan Americas and now successful nan station permanently, has overseen nan past six wins, adding immoderate slickness and assortment pinch shot successful hand.

Since his appointment, England person moved nan shot much widely, much accurately and much quickly than they did successful nan first portion of this year.

The proportionality of attacking phases successful which nan shot is moved 20 metres laterally from nan erstwhile breakdown has astir doubled.

While England person kicked somewhat little during Blackett's clip successful nan set-up, nan proportionality successful which they person contested nan regather pinch nan guidance has much than trebled.

The stock of rucks completed successful little than 3 seconds has jumped 10%.

There is simply a caveat to this.

It is easier to play precocious tempo, eager rugby connected a summertime circuit and against confederate hemisphere guidance than successful nan depths of a Six Nations dogfight.

But, aft beating nan All Blacks successful style and comfort, it is intolerable to contradict England person taken a large measurement guardant during 2025.

They are playing pinch much confidence, travel and consistency, utilizing nan extent built successful nan absence of their British and Irish Lions this summertime to outlast teams successful nan last 20 minutes if they cannot outplay them successful nan first hour.

This weekend, Blackett will beryllium attempting to coax much of nan aforesaid from a rejigged backline.

Max Ojomoh, who he worked pinch astatine Bath, wins his 2nd headdress astatine wrong centre.

Elliot Daly and Henry Slade return arsenic starters to some triumph their 74th caps, pinch nan versatile Saracens backmost having fallen foul of wounded and Slade having been retired of favour since nan summertime tour.

In nan forwards, Asher Opoku-Fordjour makes his 2nd Test start.

If nan unit changes and upward trajectory continue, it will complete a hugely promising 2025 and adhd much options and intrigue to Borthwick's hand.

But a twelvemonth bookended by defeats is besides a existent anticipation for nan hosts.

Molina reckons Argentina request an 80-minute capacity astatine Allianz Stadium.

Last weekend, they were connected and precise for astir half an hour, but that was still capable to expanse backmost from 21 points down and hit Scotland astatine Murrayfield.

In September, an hour's power did for Australia successful Sydney.

Something person to a complete capacity delivered a first location triumph complete New Zealand successful August and a landmark triumph complete nan British and Irish Lions successful June.

This Argentina squad person bona fide stars, a passionate bosom and nan expertise to hit anyone if they get into their groove.

France-based stars Marcos Kremer and Juan Cruz Mallia, who missed nan 2 Test defeats by England successful July, are backmost successful harness, while 8 of nan starting XV are established Prem performers.

"Argentina are a value broadside - I play pinch a number of them, they are highly talented," said England skipper Maro Itoje.

"We person seen what they person done successful nan Rugby Championship and they hit america present a mates of years agone [2022's 30-29 defeat].

"We cognize their threat and value and they tin decidedly wounded us."

England's vulnerabilities are shrinking though.

If they tin swat speech nan Pumas, while injuries agelong nan squad into different caller shape, nan belief of impregnability will only grow.