England name unchanged starting lineup for major test against Argentina
England's rugby team will enter the third match of the inaugural Nations Championship with a completely unchanged starting lineup. Head coach Steve Borthwick has decided to retain the same 15 players who convincingly defeated Fiji 73-8 in Liverpool on 11 July, even though several replacements made a strong case for a place in the starting side. The decision that attracted the most attention was to keep Henry Pollock among the replacements once again after he scored three tries in only 24 minutes on the pitch against Fiji. Ahead of the trip to Argentina, however, Borthwick prioritised continuity, stability and the distribution of roles that produced England's most convincing victory in recent times in the previous round. The match against Los Pumas will be played on Saturday, 18 July 2026, at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, kicking off at 16.10 local time, or 20.10 British Summer Time.
Borthwick retains the side that outplayed Fiji
The decision to name an unchanged starting 15 means Marcus Smith remains at full-back, while Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will once again play on the wings. Seb Atkinson and the experienced Henry Slade remain in the centres, while fly-half Fin Smith and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet form the half-back pairing responsible for directing play. Ellis Genge, captain Jamie George and Joe Heyes start in the front row, with Alex Coles and George Martin behind them, while Ollie Chessum, Guy Pepper and Ben Earl make up the back row. According to the official announcement by the Rugby Football Union, Borthwick expects an extremely demanding match in front of a passionate home crowd and believes the team must embrace the atmosphere and physical challenge of playing in Argentina. Retaining the same lineup shows that the coaching staff do not view the victory over Fiji merely as a one-off explosion, but as a possible foundation for a more stable and recognisable style of play.
The move also confirms confidence in Guy Pepper, who starts again at openside flanker, while Ben Earl remains at number eight. Pollock's energy and speed will therefore once again be reserved for the second part of the match, when larger spaces open up and fatigue begins to affect defensive organisation. Borthwick has opted for a five-three split between forwards and backs on the bench, retaining sufficient weight for the closing stages while also providing more options for changes to the attacking structure. Tom Curry and Pollock should bring additional intensity in contact and at the breakdown, while Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Noah Caluori receive another opportunity following their first England appearances against Fiji. In this configuration, the bench is not intended merely as a safety option, but as an important part of the plan for the final third of the match.
Pollock's hat-trick did not change the hierarchy
Henry Pollock was one of the leading names in the victory over Fiji, despite not entering the match until the second half. His three tries, scored within a short period, confirmed why the 21-year-old is regarded as one of England's most exciting talents. However, the match against Argentina demands a different kind of control, particularly in the opening phase, when the hosts traditionally seek to impose their rhythm through contact, the scrum, the maul and aggressive pressure on the ball. Borthwick has therefore retained Pepper's discipline at number seven and Earl's mobility at number eight, calculating that Pollock will be more dangerous when introduced against a defence that has already used up a significant amount of energy. The decision does not diminish his contribution, but confirms that the coaching staff currently view him as a particularly powerful weapon from the bench.
England scored 11 tries against Fiji, with Pollock providing the finishing touch to a performance in which Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Guy Pepper, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade and debutants Caluori and Janse van Rensburg also stood out. The 73-8 victory ended a run of five consecutive Test defeats, giving it considerably greater importance for the team than the scoreline alone. It came only a week after a 45-21 defeat by South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, where England paid the price for a poor start and a finish in which they were reduced to 13 men because two players had been temporarily suspended. Against Fiji, they responded with greater precision, better discipline and much more effective use of possession. The trip to Santiago del Estero will now show how much of that progress can be carried over against an opponent that will offer stronger resistance at the set piece, in contact and through defensive pressure.
Jamie George set for 113th cap and fourth place on the all-time list
Jamie George's latest international milestone gives the match additional significance. The experienced hooker will once again lead England as captain and make his 113th appearance for the national team, which, according to data published by the Rugby Football Union, will move him clear into fourth place among the most-capped players for the men's team. George made his debut in 2015, has won three Six Nations titles, was part of the team that reached the 2019 World Cup final and the squad that progressed to the semi-finals in 2023. In the current team, his role extends beyond throwing at the lineout and working in the scrum, as the captain must manage the tempo, communication with the referee and the team's reactions during periods of home pressure. That composure will be particularly important at a stadium where Argentina expect strong support from the crowd.
George will once again share the front row with Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes. Their task will not only be to ensure a stable scrum, but also to prevent Argentina from gaining territory, penalties and momentum through the set piece. In the second row, Coles and Martin must provide a reliable source of lineout possession and a sufficient number of powerful carries into contact, while Chessum adds extra height and mobility in the back row. England will seek to avoid a repeat of the situation in Johannesburg, where they conceded three early tries to South Africa and were forced to chase the result for almost the entire match. In Santiago del Estero, discipline at the start could be just as important as attacking creativity.
Spencer and Iyogun the only changes among the 23 players
The changes have been made exclusively among the replacements. Ben Spencer comes in as the reserve scrum-half following the hamstring injury suffered by Alex Mitchell, the Northampton player, in the match against Fiji. The Rugby Football Union had previously announced that Raffi Quirke had been called into the wider squad as a replacement for the injured Mitchell, but the place in the matchday squad against Argentina has gone to the more experienced Spencer. His ability to slow down or speed up the game, as well as his experience in the closing stages of tight matches, could be particularly important if the result remains in the balance during the final 20 minutes or so. Unlike the match against Fiji, England cannot expect the contest to turn into one-way traffic at an early stage.
The other new face on the bench is Emmanuel Iyogun, the uncapped Northampton Saints prop. Iyogun comes in for George Kloska, who made his first international appearance against Fiji, while Asher Opoku-Fordjour will move to the role of replacement tighthead prop. According to the Rugby Football Union's profile, Iyogun has already played for England A and has gained high-level experience through club matches and European competitions, but an appearance in Argentina would represent his debut in an official Test. For the young player, it would be an exceptionally demanding introduction to international rugby, given the reputation of the Argentinian scrum and the importance of the closing stages in an away match. His inclusion simultaneously shows that Borthwick continues to broaden the player base, but without changing the core of the team.
Argentina seek confirmation after victory over Wales
England face an opponent that has shown both attacking quality and a degree of vulnerability in the opening two rounds. Argentina lost their opening match 47-38 to Scotland in Córdoba, in a contest featuring a total of 12 tries, before recovering with a 35-21 victory over Wales in San Juan. According to the report by the Argentine Rugby Union, Felipe Contepomi's team scored five tries against Wales, with Joaquín Oviedo twice finishing attacking moves in the in-goal area. Justo Piccardo, Marcos Kremer and Santiago Carreras also scored, while Tomás Albornoz converted all five tries. The victory gave Argentina their first triumph in the new competition and confirmed that the team can respond quickly after a disappointing result.
Los Pumas were particularly effective against Wales during periods in which they managed to speed up the ball after contact. Their combination of powerful forwards and mobile backs creates a threat both in narrow channels and in wider positions, meaning England cannot concentrate their defence solely around the scrum and maul. Santiago Carreras can create an overlap by joining the attack from deep, while players such as Kremer, Oviedo and Pablo Matera bring enormous physical strength and experience in the contest on the ground. At the same time, the 47 points conceded against Scotland showed that Argentina can encounter problems when their opponents maintain a high attacking tempo for extended periods and force their defence into repeated lateral movements. England must therefore find a balance between territorial control and the courage to attack when space appears.
New tournament links the July and November Tests
The Nations Championship is being held for the first time in 2026 and brings together 12 leading national teams in a format connecting the northern and southern hemispheres. According to explanations from World Rugby and the Argentine Rugby Union, the six Six Nations teams play against Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the invited teams of Fiji and Japan. During the July window, the northern teams mostly travel to face southern opponents, while in November the schedule is reversed and the matches move to Europe. The finals weekend in London is intended to connect the results from both parts of the season and give additional importance to Tests that were previously often viewed as separate tours. For England, the match in Argentina is therefore not the end of the entire competition, but the conclusion of the first, July block.
Borthwick's team will host Australia, Japan and New Zealand in November, but before then they want to improve their record from the first two rounds. The defeat by South Africa and the emphatic victory over Fiji left England with two very different experiences: one showed how quickly a match can slip out of control against an elite opponent, while the other demonstrated how effective the team can be when it wins the contact area and maintains a high tempo. Argentina sit between those two extremes, with enough power to punish every mistake and sufficient attacking width to create opportunities from unexpected situations. The third round will therefore provide a more precise indication of England's current level than the result against Fiji. Victory in a difficult away match would give Borthwick a considerably firmer foundation for the remainder of the season.
Santiago del Estero poses an additional challenge
Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades has become an important venue for major rugby matches in Argentina in recent years. The Argentine union points out that Los Pumas defeated Scotland there in 2022 and South Africa in 2024, meaning the hosts enter the match with positive experiences at the stadium. The match against England begins in the late afternoon local time, and a loud crowd is expected to increase the pressure on the visitors. World Rugby has appointed Australian Angus Gardner as the referee, assisted by Nika Amashukeli and Paul Williams, while Brett Cronan will be the television match official. The way in which both teams adapt their discipline to Gardner's interpretation could have a direct impact on territory and the number of opportunities to kick at goal.
England have an excellent recent record against Argentina. The official Rugby Football Union review lists five consecutive victories since 2023, including two wins on Argentinian soil in the summer of 2025 and a 27-23 victory in London in November of the same year. That run gives the visitors confidence, but it does not remove the risks of a match in which Argentina can rely on home conditions and a team accustomed to highly intense Tests. Borthwick has yet to lose to Los Pumas as head coach, but in 2026 he is still seeking his first away victory after defeats in Rome, Paris and Johannesburg. Santiago del Estero therefore represents both an opportunity to extend the favourable run against Argentina and a test of England's ability to become dependable away from home once again.
Full England team for the match against Argentina
Starting 15:
- 15 Marcus Smith
- 14 Tommy Freeman
- 13 Henry Slade
- 12 Seb Atkinson
- 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
- 10 Fin Smith
- 9 Jack van Poortvliet
- 1 Ellis Genge
- 2 Jamie George, captain
- 3 Joe Heyes
- 4 Alex Coles
- 5 George Martin
- 6 Ollie Chessum
- 7 Guy Pepper
- 8 Ben Earl
Replacements:
- 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie
- 17 Emmanuel Iyogun
- 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour
- 19 Tom Curry
- 20 Henry Pollock
- 21 Ben Spencer
- 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg
- 23 Noah Caluori
Borthwick's selection clearly shows that England do not want to abandon in Argentina what worked against Fiji, but they will have to prove that the same team can also succeed in a much tougher and more uncertain match. At the heart of the plan will be control of the set piece, discipline inside their own half, defence following Argentina's rapid ball transfers and timely use of a powerful bench. Pollock once again receives the role of a player who can change the tempo, while George leads the starting lineup during another important stage of his long international career. Argentina, encouraged by their victory over Wales, will attempt to impose a physical contest and use the energy of the home crowd. England's response to that initial pressure will probably determine whether the convincing victory over Fiji remains an isolated result or marks the beginning of a genuine turnaround.
Sources:
- England Rugby – official announcement of the England team for the match against Argentina (link)
- England Rugby – match preview, kick-off time, broadcast details, Alex Mitchell's injury and Raffi Quirke's call-up (link)
- England Rugby – report on the 73-8 victory over Fiji and the lineup from the second round (link)
- World Rugby – official match, stadium and officiating-team details (link)
- World Rugby – explanation of the Nations Championship structure and participating national teams (link)
- Unión Argentina de Rugby – official report on Argentina's 35-21 victory over Wales (link)
- Unión Argentina de Rugby – information on hosting in Santiago del Estero and the competition format (link)
- England Rugby – official Jamie George profile and overview of his international career (link)
- England Rugby – confirmed England schedule in the inaugural Nations Championship (link)
- World Rugby – competition format and the finals weekend in London (link)
- The Guardian – context surrounding the decision on Pollock, the changes on the bench and George's 113th appearance (link)