Rugby Union: How Are England Doing?

Signs that things are going well


Early scrum dominance

After the first couple of scrums against New Zealand, England knew they were in for a tough day at the office. The Pumas are one of the best scrummaging packs in the business.

Line-breaks

England are trying to spice up their game again: playing at pace, off-loading in the tackle and attacking space. If they find a gap or two early on, their confidence will grow.

Fuming Pumas

Felipe Contepomi and Gus Pichot, pictured right, the visiting half-backs, are the tactical pulse of the Argentina side. If they get rattled and lose focus, it will assist England enormously.

Signs that things are pear-shaped


Ominous mauls

The Argentinians love to maul and could employ it as a tactic to sap the energy of their opponents only six days after the record defeat by New Zealand.

Early injuries

Apart from Josh Lewsey, England's back-up looks thin: their other six replacements boast five Test starts between them.

Back chat

The International Board has recently announced a crackdown. If England's players start to get lippy, it will be a dead giveaway that their composure has deserted them.