Eddie Jones says Saturday's World Cup clash against Argentina will test England’s “manlihood”, as they bid to become the first team to reach the quarter-finals.
England have beaten both Tonga and USA with a bonus point but their tournament ramps up from here. Next Saturday they face France before a possible last-eight clash.
Defeat for Argentina, meanwhile, would leave them needing snookers to make it to the quarter-finals for the fourth straight World Cup.
England head coach Jones said: “When you play against Argentina, they base their game on the scrum, so it’s a test of manliness.
“To beat Argentina you have to take them on up-front — scrum, maul, ruck attack, ruck defence. That’s where it will be won.”
Jones, who had a full complement of 31 players to select from, opted to leave Mako Vunipola and Jack Nowell, both of whom are returning from injury, on the bench.
Argentina are ranked 10th in the world rankings and lost 10 games in a row before beating Tonga on Saturday. In that game, they secured a bonus point but went pointless in the second half.
The Pumas are known for their passion but Jones says his players must not be “seduced” by their opponents. He added: “Argentina play with a lot of pride and that will be multiplied by the fact they are in a game that is very important to them.
“So that allows us to try to take away their strengths — it is pretty clear how they will play by the side they have picked — and then try to attack their weaknesses.
“There are some weaknesses. The first part of the game is going to be very important. It is going to be a hot day — 33 degrees — and maybe some wind out there. It will be a real test of each team’s courage tomorrow.”
Jones says England have worked hard on their temperament in a bid to avoid another big-game meltdown, such as when they had to scramble to draw 38-38 against Scotland in the Six Nations after leading 31-0 at half-time.
Jones said: “We have been creating training situations to equip the players for it. Working hard off the field to handle situations well. But it’s like a tea bag, isn’t it? You don’t know good it is until you put it in hot water.”
