As the curtain falls on another intense year of international rugby, the stage is set for a pulsating clash between England and Argentina at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium. With England aiming for an 11th straight victory and Argentina looking to cap off a historic November sweep, the stakes couldn't be higher.
The hosts, under Steve Borthwick's astute leadership, have been formidable, boasting a squad deep in talent and strategy. Yet, Felipe Contepomi's Los Pumas are not to be underestimated, having already dispatched rugby giants earlier this season, and are now eyeing a triumphant finish against the only top-tier nation they haven't conquered in 2025.
"This was a huge challenge for us,"
Contepomi admitted, reflecting on their recent victories and the looming battle with England.
"The challenge will be huge because they are probably the most on-form team in the world at the moment."
The match promises to hinge on critical confrontations in the set-pieces and gain-line control, where both teams showcase formidable prowess. The scrum and aerial battles, in particular, are anticipated to be key areas. Moreover, the impact of the substitutes could tip the scales, with England's 'Pom Squad' and Argentina's impactful bench players like Pablo Matera and Santiago Carreras ready to inject game-changing momentum.
England's lineup features the dynamic George Ford at fly-half, whose form has been nothing short of inspirational, and Elliot Daly, whose versatility will be crucial. Meanwhile, Argentina brings back the robust Marcos Kremer and gives a nod to Justo Piccardo, who impressed against Scotland.
As emotions run high and tactics are finely tuned, this encounter is expected to be a closely contested affair, with Argentina possibly edging it to snap England's impressive winning streak.
The teams are as follows:
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Marcus Smith.
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Justo Piccardo, 11 Bautista Delguy, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz, 8 Santiago Grondona, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Juan Martín González, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Tomás
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As the curtain falls on another intense year of international rugby, the stage is set for a pulsating clash between England and Argentina at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium. With England aiming for an 11th straight victory and Argentina looking to cap off a historic November sweep, the stakes couldn't be higher.
The hosts, under Steve Borthwick's astute leadership, have been formidable, boasting a squad deep in talent and strategy. Yet, Felipe Contepomi's Los Pumas are not to be underestimated, having already dispatched rugby giants earlier this season, and are now eyeing a triumphant finish against the only top-tier nation they haven't conquered in 2025.
"This was a huge challenge for us,"
Contepomi admitted, reflecting on their recent victories and the looming battle with England."The challenge will be huge because they are probably the most on-form team in the world at the moment."
The match promises to hinge on critical confrontations in the set-pieces and gain-line control, where both teams showcase formidable prowess. The scrum and aerial battles, in particular, are anticipated to be key areas. Moreover, the impact of the substitutes could tip the scales, with England's 'Pom Squad' and Argentina's impactful bench players like Pablo Matera and Santiago Carreras ready to inject game-changing momentum.
England's lineup features the dynamic George Ford at fly-half, whose form has been nothing short of inspirational, and Elliot Daly, whose versatility will be crucial. Meanwhile, Argentina brings back the robust Marcos Kremer and gives a nod to Justo Piccardo, who impressed against Scotland.
As emotions run high and tactics are finely tuned, this encounter is expected to be a closely contested affair, with Argentina possibly edging it to snap England's impressive winning streak.
The teams are as follows:
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Guy Pepper, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Tom Curry, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Marcus Smith.
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Matías Moroni, 12 Justo Piccardo, 11 Bautista Delguy, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz, 8 Santiago Grondona, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Juan Martín González, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Tomás