Despite a sensational hat-trick of dynamic tries against Fiji, rising star Henry Pollock has been overlooked for a starting place in England’s back row, as head coach Steve Borthwick named an unchanged XV for Saturday’s clash with Argentina in Santiago del Estero.
Pollock’s headline-grabbing 32-minute cameo off the bench in Liverpool, which saw him score three times, was ultimately not enough to displace Ben Earl at number eight.
A host of former England stars including Chris Ashton, Ben Youngs and Jeremy Guscott had called for his promotion to the starting XV. However, Borthwick has opted for continuity, retaining Earl, whose value as the team’s main ball carrier is seen as indispensable.
The midfield combination of Seb Atkinson and Henry Slade remains intact, with Borthwick resisting any temptation to break them up. Benhard Janse van Rensburg continues among the replacements, having made his debut at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The only alterations come on the bench. Ben Spencer steps in for Alex Mitchell, who is sidelined by a hamstring injury sustained ahead of the trip to northern Argentina. Emmanuel Iyogun is also preferred over George Kloska.
Meanwhile, teenage wing sensation Noah Caluori is poised to earn his second cap from the bench, following his try-scoring debut in Liverpool.
England arrive for the final fixture of their July tour holding an impressive unbeaten record against Argentina under Borthwick, having secured five victories, including two on home soil last summer.
The tour began with a challenging 45-21 defeat to South Africa in the Nations Championship, but was followed by an emphatic 11-try demolition of Fiji last Saturday, a result that ended their five-Test losing streak.
Looking ahead to the encounter, Borthwick commented: “We expect a fantastic atmosphere with passionate home support. It promises to be a great occasion and one the players are excited to embrace.”
England team to face Argentina: M Smith (Harlequins); T Freeman (Northampton), H Slade (Exeter), S Atkinson (Gloucester), I Feyi-Waboso (Exeter); F Smith (Northampton), J van Poortvliet (Leicester); E Genge (Bristol), J George (Saracens, capt), J Heyes (Leicester), A Coles (Northampton), G Martin (Saracens), O Chessum (Leicester), G Pepper (Bath), B Earl (Saracens).
Replacements: L Cowan-Dickie (Sale), E Iyogun (Northampton), A Opoku-Fordjour (Sale), T Curry (Sale), H Pollock (Northampton), B Spencer (Bath), B Janse van Rensburg (Bristol), N Caluori (Saracens).
