Eddie Jones knew precisely what he was doing when he suggested Argentina could pose England their toughest challenge of this autumn series. As well as alerting his own side to the perils of complacency it also delivered a jagged little dart to Australian posteriors before their Test against Ireland. Even if the Wallabies do not respond in kind when they reach London next week, Jones’s calculated jibe will have found its fleshy target.
It also had the additional virtue of being potentially true. Argentina did, admittedly, end up bottom of the Rugby Championship and lost to Australia at Twickenham just a few short weeks ago but if ever there was a team with the attacking capacity to spring a spectacular surprise it is Los Pumas. They were leading the All Blacks in Hamilton in September and were World Cup semi-finalists in October last year.
The only problem for Daniel Hourcade’s side is their unfortunate timing: at precisely the moment they are staggering to the end of a marathon, globe-trotting season, England are threatening to soar to a whole new level. Twelve straight victories, 11 of them under Jones this year, do not unfold by accident and two more over the next eight days would equal England’s record sequence of 14, achieved under Clive Woodward in 2002-03.
For players like Tom Wood, who caught the tail end of the Martin Johnson era and lived through last year’s Rugby World Cup disappointment, the upturn is all the more enjoyable. Wood, restored to the back row ahead of his club-mate Teimana Harrison, noticed a difference as soon as he returned to camp: “There was a buzz about the place that suggested we’re a confident team. I noticed it in certain individuals that I hadn’t been around for a period of time like the Vunipola brothers, Jamie George, Mike Brown, Owen Farrell and George Ford.
“They’ve always been good speakers but they’ve been given the reins within this team and they’ve taken ownership and responsibility. The personalities within the team are massive. That’s a tangible difference I’ve noticed since I’ve come back in.”
Add in the collective desire to improve further plus the self-belief generated by a Six Nations grand slam and a 3-0 series win in Australia, and it is difficult to recall an England side since 2003 that has felt better about itself. “Winning breeds an inner confidence,” said Wood. “If you think you are doing good things and you lose games then you start to question it. If you think you are on the right track and you start winning a few games your confidence grows and grows. You get even more ‘buy-in’ and it becomes a self-fulfilling snowball effect.”
The 30-year-old Wood also credits the no-nonsense impact of Jones, specifically his refusal to beat around the bush verbally. “The fact that Eddie is so straight-talking allows you to clear away all the mind games and the fog and just get on with doing the job.”
England’s players have also latched firmly on to the idea they can blow teams away if they can operate consistently at the cracking pace they set in the first half-hour against Fiji. “The important thing for us is to start fast, put teams under the pump and see if they can live with us for the full 80 minutes,” said Wood. “That’s why we train the way we do. The intention is to train almost above Test match intensity so the Test match itself comes a little easier to you.”
This deliberate increase in tempo, with the deft skills to match, is what sets New Zealand apart but Argentina, of late, have ventured too far down the continuity road at the expense of forward impact. England see no reason why they cannot eventually tick both boxes, particularly when Maro Itoje returns from injury. As Wood puts it: “We’re not necessarily the biggest pack in world rugby but we’ve got good athletes who can perform multiple roles.”
Perhaps the biggest danger for England this weekend lies in the pocket of the French referee Pascal Gaüzère. World Rugby’s determination to punish high tackles and stray boots – sanctions for many offences are due to be increased in January – is no secret and this weekend could well see an increase in yellow and red cards. The Pumas’ desire to enhance their 2019 World Cup draw prospects by finishing this calendar year ranked in the top eight should also not be underestimated. Their upwardly-mobile hosts, even so, should still have their measure.
England
M Brown (Harlequins); J May (Gloucester), J Joseph (Bath), O Farrell (Saracens), E Daly (Wasps); G Ford (England), B Youngs (Leicester); M Vunipola (Saracens), D Hartley (Northampton, capt), D Cole (Leicester), C Lawes (Northampton), G Kruis (Saracens), C Robshaw (Harlequins), T Wood (Northampton), B Vunipola (Saracens). Replacements J George (Saracens), J Marler (Harlequins), K Sinckler (Harlequins), C Ewels (Bath), T Harrison (Northampton), D Care (Harlequins), B Te’o (Worcester), H Slade (Exeter).
Argentina
J Tuculet (Jaguares); M Orlando (Jaguares), M Moroni (Jaguares), S González Iglesias (Jaguartes), S Cordero (Jaguares); JM Hernández (Jaguares), T Cubelli (Brumbies); L Noguera Paz (Jaguartes), A Creevy (Jaguares, capt), R Herrara (Jaguares), G Petti Pagadizaval (Jaguares), M Alemanno (Jaguares), P Matera (Jaguares), J Ortega Desio (Jaguares), L Senatore (Jaguares). Replacements J Montoya (Jaguares), S García Botta (Jaguares), E Pieretto Heiland (Córdoba), F Isa (Jaguares), T Lezana (Jaguares), M Landajo (Jaguares), J de la Fuente (Jaguares), JP Estelles (Northampton).
