England v Samoa: Reflections from Twickenham Stadium

At Twickenham Stadium on Saturday afternoon England’s 48 to 14 point victory delivered exactly what Eddie Jones wanted from it. First and foremost a victory and after that plenty of lessons learned as his assessment below highlights. 

“It was a tough old game. We had a number of players playing their first big Test, some struggled and some did well. It's the sort of game we needed to play, particularly after beating Australia, when you're playing against a side that you're supposed to beat by a big score and therefore the mindset that you need for that sort of game is something you only learn by experience.”

Of course this type of experience will be absolutely vital for England when it comes to Rugby World Cup 2019 and their outings against the USA, Tonga and maybe even Argentina depending on Daniel Hourcade’s side’s output at that point in time. Needless to say their head coach and coaching team would much prefer that this group of players learned these lessons now as opposed to trying to pick them up 'on the job' in Japan. 

“We started the game well and then thought the game was going to flow and going to be easy. Like most of the Pacific Island sides, Samoa and Tonga, they kept coming, kept contesting the breakdown. Took us until the 55th minute mark, somewhere around that, to realise we had to work harder. We learnt that and I thought the last 20 minutes was terrific. Really pleased with it, great learning experience. A number of the players will learn a lot from that. Some will be disappointed, which is not too bad at all and they've got plenty to reflect on.”

On a particularly crisp winter’s day England’s squad were met by a hugely physical Samoan outfit and I fully expect that many, if not all, will be particularly sore tomorrow. Back or forward, first start or experienced Test campaigner, it mattered little to the Samoans who they connected with as long as they did. Physicality is at the heart of their rugby and pleasingly for England the constant threat of a ‘rib tickler’ didn't de-rail their ambition. The bravery that George Ford spoke about on Thursday was present in spades and I have to say that personally I thought that England’s fly-half had another assured day at the office. Whilst on the subject of George Ford I must also say that Chris Robshaw’s decision to let the younger man lead England out of the tunnel epitomised the selflessness of the Harlequin. It would have been easy for him to do so and feel the emotions that he has experienced before yet he gave the honour and moment to his team mate. Once again it was another example of why so many, including myself have so much respect for him and on the field of play he gave it absolutely everything as he always does. 

Elsewhere Sam Simmonds, a man that Eddie Jones says ‘needs to get some beef on him’ for international rugby, didn't look starstruck at starting in the Test arena. The Exeter Chief will be well looked after by Rob Baxter and he is a member of England's squad that I think could really thrive between now and 2019. Another player who was making his first international start - Jamie George - commenced the Test like the seasoned professional that he is and England are truly blessed having him and Dylan Hartley at hooker.

Back to the backs and I thought that England’s centre partnership grew as the game progressed. Henry Slade and Alex Lozowski are both in early stages of their Test careers and have tremendous skills and rugby brains on them. Eddie Jones' over-arching assessment was that ‘both of those guys are worth persevering with’ and I’m sure that you'll all be as pleased as I am to hear that. 

As the Australian continued to reflect on the 80 minutes of Test rugby and England's autumn series he was quick to look ahead to their next challenge. In true Eddie Jones fashion he immediately put pressure on his players by saying that now ‘it all goes out the window’ as the squad breaks up for eight weeks or so. They have a camp in January before the Six Nations squad is formed and the quest for their head coach he called the 'three-peat' starts. His message was very simple and highlighted that his Six Nations' squad may not have the same configuration as this one unless his players progress back at their clubs and show him just how much they want it. Once again Eddie Jones made it clear that he will not pick individuals based on reputation or simply because he’s picked them ever since he’s been in charge. Instead, they must return to their clubs and show the form and desire required and those outside of it have ample opportunity to push themselves into contention. 

This Autumn Series has been a positive and productive one for England. Each game has delivered exactly what was needed. Argentina dusted off the cobwebs and showed that this group of players know how to grind out a result, the fixture against Australia highlighted their fitness, intensity and finishing skills and this final Test against Samoa provided the platform for roles to be switched and key lessons to be learned by those moving around. Right now, the focus will turn back on domestic and European rugby but  in the blink of an eye we'll be back here discussing the 2018 Six Nations Championship and of course this time next year England will have faced New Zealand! Can't wait for that one...! 

England v Samoa; Co-captains' thoughts

Co-captaincy is something that didn’t used to be seen regularly in elite rugby however of late it’s become much more familiar to us all and in my personal opinion makes so much sense. 

George Ford and Chris Robshaw are both experienced leaders - clearly the latter has worn the ‘armband’ at international level more - however if you ask any player within England’s squad then they will tell you about the amount of work and leadership that both George Ford and Owen Farrell deliver during Test weeks and matches. 

Today the fly-half will be at the heart of this England outfit and on Thursday afternoon the 24-year-old provided insights into the challenge that Samoa will pose.

“With Samoa it’s going to be a different challenge because they’ll be a bit unpredictable. From what we’ve seen from the last two or three games it’s hard to pick out any trends or themes, how they defend for example, other than every now and then someone will fly out of the line and smash someone. 

“We’ve got to be sharp in terms of decision-making and make sure everyone is a genuine option when we’re attacking, that we’re not predictable so that they can see a play a mile away and afford to fly out of the line and hit someone. They energise themselves by making big hits and winning collisions. We’ve got to be smart and make sure we make good decisions.”

For as long as I can remember people have been quick to highlight their beliefs that Leicester Tiger isn't physical enough at fly-half. However in my view that's not the case and instead I firmly believe that he's a world-class rugby player and fly-half. George Ford is so unique in the way that he plays so flat to the line, his vision is better than any around and when it comes to defensive duties he never takes a backward step. Yes, on occasion he may concede a bit of ground in the hit (that's a function of physics) however those thinking that they’ll get an easy ride going down his channel are often found to be wrong. 

With the Samoans famed for their physicality the fly-half knows exactly what's required from him and from all of England's backs today. 

“Our skills have got to be on the money, our catch-pass stuff because if not they’ll just come for you, flying off the line and wanting to hurt you. Our basics have got to be brilliant.”

After he elaborated about his personal approach to the physical challenge that will be laid at his doorstep today;

“You don’t think too much about the danger of it but you understand there are some big guys coming off the line. This week it’s a bit more unpredictable because you don’t know who is going to do it. Usually you’d be able to pick up a trend in terms of knowing that the 13 is going to do it but in Samoa’s case it’s not always the 13, it could be anyone. We’ve got to be aware of that but we can’t sit back and be tentative. We’ve got to go at Samoa and try to dictate to them rather than wait and see what they’re going to do. We’ve got to be brave.”

As mentioned one of the other much-discussed elements of the week has been the fact that Chris Robshaw will be leading England again [alongside George] and be back in the seven jersey. 

For the man himself the number on his back matters little and instead he’s solely focused on delivering his game to the best of his ability and leading with distinction. Of course some will say that this is just media speak but having interviewed Chris on a number of occasions, and worked with him when I used to be a brand manager for one of England's Rugby's partners, he isn’t just taking the party line. The 31-year-old is extremely dedicated to his own rugby development and putting his game on the park whether that’s in a six or seven jersey. 

With 58 caps in the bank, and the ups and downs that Chris Robshaw experienced during those 58 caps, he’s extremely well-placed to hand out a word of advice to squad members ahead of kick-off;

"A lot of guys have got an opportunity this week, guys who’ve been training hard, training for this opportunity for a long time. For myself and George it’s about helping those guys and making them feel confident and comfortable in that situation; that they can go out there and express themselves – and that they don’t have to make the miracle play and force things, they can just go about their business. 

"Someone like Sam Simmonds has done exceptionally well in the last two weeks; he has come on and really made an impact. He’s probably been the form player in the first third of the Premiership season and I am looking forward to the opportunity to play with him."

Here at Twickenham Stadium the sun is shining and the conditions are perfectly set for this final Test of 2017. As mentioned in my preview this is a test in every sense of the word with individuals shifting roles from starters to finishers, finishers to starters or finishers to squad players. With George Ford and Chris Robshaw at the helm England will be led with distinction as both have prepared this squad for the Test at hand and will thrive as a leadership duo together. 

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Jonny May, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Alex Lozowski, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford (co-capt), 9 Danny Care; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Maro Itoje, 7 Chris Robshaw (co-capt), 8 Sam Simmonds. Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Courtney Lawes, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Piers Francis, 23 Semesa Rokoduguni.

Samoa: 15 Ah See Tuala, 14 Paul Perez, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 Alapati Leiua, 11 David Lemi, 10 Tim Nanai-Williams, 9 Dwayne Polataivao, 1 Jordan Lay, 2 Motu Matu´u, 3 Donald Brighouse, 4 Josh Tyrell, 5 Chris Vui (c), 6 Piula Fa'asalele, 7 TJ Ioane, 8 Jack Lam. Replacements: 16 Manu Leiataua, 17 James Lay, 18 Hisa Sasagi, 19 Fa'atiga Lemalu, 20 Ofisa Treviranus, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Reynold Lee-Lo, 23 JJ Taulagi.

England v Samoa: New roles and squad depth

“Everyone in the team has got a different role this week. That is what is exciting for us.”

At Pennyhill Park on Thursday lunchtime Eddie Jones was on very good form as he lifted the lid on his selection choices for England’s final Test of 2017 against Samoa. This week and this Test match is all about continuing to increase England’s depth in two specific areas; depth of experience and depth of leadership. 

“At the start of the year in Portugal we put out 12 rugby balls. Each of the balls signified a game in our season - we have got 12 Tests. I said to the players ‘for each of these balls, some of you will be starting players, some of you will be finishing players and some of you will be squad players but you have all got a role to play in making England win’."

“Great squads have that ability for people to change their roles and still contribute. It is a great test for players this week who have been starting guys to become finishers and to see how they support the team because that is so important. For some guys have been squad members now their job is to be starting guys and they have got to understand their role and understand their role completely and do it well because it’s different."

Eddie Jones elaborated further on the intracies of these different roles using the examples of two specific individuals; Jamie George and Ellis Genge. For the Saracen it will be about getting the scrum right and working out what the referee wants to see from the offset without having time to reflect on the bench. This of course is something he does day in and day out so it shouldn't be an issue but his national head coach will want to see it for his own eyes in an England jersey. Equally when it comes to Ellis Genge being a starter then he must set also the tone at the set piece and after that deliver his ball carrying impact around the park.

When it comes to England’s co-captains, George Ford and Chris Robshaw, both were very clear that on the field it will be business as usual. The fly-half will continue run the attack and the flanker will focus more with regard to England’s forward pack and defence. As you’d expect decisions to kick for the corner or go for the posts will be made between the two and it was made clear that as soon as Dylan Hartley arrives on the field he will take over the captinacy. Both George and Chris are natural leaders of this group and I firmly believe will lead their country with distinction as they did against the Barbarians. 

One of the most interesting aspects of this England squad will be how Alex Lozowski and Henry Slade link together in the midfield. Now, I hold my hand up in saying that last time England had a new partnership with Jonathan Joseph and Henry Slade against Argentina I got a little bit over-excited at the potential of the duo. We all know that they didn’t quite click on the day so this time around I’m keeping the excitement at a more measured level. Without question the potential of Alex Lozowski and Henry Slade as a duo is great however they will be under significant pressure from an extremely physical Samoan side so right now I’m saying let’s wait and see!

When it comes to England’s opponents Eddie Jones knows exactly what to expect having been a techincal consultant for Samoa in 2005 and the Australian has the greatest of respect for the Island nations as he articulated clearly on Thursday. 

“As I said the other day I think that Island rugby is so important for World Rugby. They bring this uniqueness to the game, they’re great athletes, they have got this freedom of expression in the way that they play the game so everything needs to be done to ensure that they keep playing the game at the highest level. 

“I think what World Rugby has done for them has been absolutely outstanding, absolutely outstanding and they never get any credit. World Rugby’s a bit like the RFU, like everything they do is not right, they never give enough money – they do, they do some great work, and they’ve done a lot of good work with Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.”

Personally I’m really excited for Saturday’s Test match and firmly believe that Eddie Jones’ approach to it is spot on. He has picked a different side for a reason, he has co-captains for a reason and is doing everything with their longer term goal in mind. This Samoan Test will be a physical and tough one and another key step on the road towards Rugby World Cup 2019. 

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Jonny May, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Alex Lozowski, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford (co-capt), 9 Danny Care; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Maro Itoje, 7 Chris Robshaw (co-capt), 8 Sam Simmonds. Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Courtney Lawes, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Piers Francis, 23 Semesa Rokoduguni.

Samoa: 15 Ah See Tuala, 14 Paul Perez, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 Alapati Leiua, 11 David Lemi, 10 Tim Nanai-Williams, 9 Dwayne Polataivao, 1 Jordan Lay, 2 Motu Matu´u, 3 Donald Brighouse, 4 Josh Tyrell, 5 Chris Vui (c), 6 Piula Fa'asalele, 7 TJ Ioane, 8 Jack Lam. Replacements: 16 Manu Leiataua, 17 James Lay, 18 Hisa Sasagi, 19 Fa'atiga Lemalu, 20 Ofisa Treviranus, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Reynold Lee-Lo, 23 JJ Taulagi.

England v Australia: Absorbing, compelling and utterly unique

Absorbing, compelling and utterly unique. Those are the first words that spring to mind if you ask me to describe yesterday's Test match. It was the closest 30-6 victory that I've witnessed and it’s no wonder that Eddie Jones and his side were quietly content with their afternoon’s work. Australia are an excellent side and yet the game was snatched away from them. 

After what can only be described as a slightly 'flat' atmosphere at Twickenham Stadium last weekend, the stadium rocked with noise from the very first 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' after just three minutes to England's final try one minute after the clock went red. 

“Tactically we played smart, we read the conditions, it was difficult conditions for both teams and I thought we played them superbly," said England's head coach after the game. 

"We had the confidence that we would finish the game stronger than they would.”

The most effective sporting teams in the world have the ability to take a closely-fought game away from their opponents in the blink of an eye and on Saturday that was exactly what England did. It would be remiss of me not to mention the decisions that were key talking points however they're part and parcel of sport. England's reaction to them, and indeed Owen Farrell's few words to the referee during Australia's second disallowed try, were a mark of the streetwise nature that's developed under Eddie Jones. In years gone by matches like Saturday's would have been lost, now they're won and won well. 

England’s head coach has etched the word ‘finishers’ into all of our vocabularies and boy did we see his set in full flow. The Australian always talks about the quality of the 80 minutes that Dylan Hartley & Jamie George provide him in the front row and without question the same must be said about Ben Youngs & Danny Care. The creativity that the latter brought to the game was undoubtedly one of the deciding points of the match whilst the work of the former must be credited too. Ben Youngs controlled England’s outing, alongside George Ford and Owen Farrell, and the Leicester scrum-half created opportunities from his boot too. Elsewhere England's replacement front row maintained the standards at the set piece and  Maro Itoje's early introduction sent excited ripples of noise around Twickenham Stadium. 

As a collective England's pack were tasked with 'physically dominating' their opponents and it's fair to say that they did a pretty good job of that. Much to the delight of England's fans in the stands Courtney Lawes introduced himself (in his trademark fashion) to Kurtley Beale early on and it went from there. As just mentioned England's starting and finishing front rows scrummaged hard whilst Joe Launchbury and Chris Robshaw led the work rate in defence with 19 and 11 tackles respectively. England's line speed caused Australia plenty of issues, indeed their defence is becoming world leading, and without question they will look to blow Samoa away in this area next weekend. 

An element that I’m sure Eddie Jones and his side will highlight as a work on behind closed doors is the fact that they haven't fully capitalised on sin bin periods during this autumn series. Last weekend against Argentina, and again yesterday, numerical advantages weren’t ruthlessly exploited and that must be turned around and fixed as the side move towards Rugby World Cup 2019. 

England’s victory over Australia not only secured their position as the second best Test side in the world but it was their fifth successive victory over their age old rivals. The only other English Test side to do that was the one led by Martin Johnson and coached by Sir Clive Woodward. As we know this type of record matters little to the current captain and head coach however it is another statistical illustration of the progression of this Test side. England remain undefeated at Twickenham Stadium under Eddie Jones and I expect that statement to ring true this time next week too. 

England v Australia: Preview

“There's nothing better than an Australia versus England sporting contest. I'm looking forward to Saturday, it should be a ripper of a game.”

Two sentences from Eddie Jones that hit the nail on the head because today’s Test match should a belter. Last weekend’s Test against Argentina didn’t float too many people’s boats however we’re all expecting this afternoon's 80 minutes to be the anthesis of that in every sense. 

The areas where England lacked cohesion last weekend should be back to their fluid and cohesive best. The slightly quiet and pensive atmosphere at Twickenham Stadium should be replaced with the passion that’s reserved for one of England’s greatest sporting foes. Finally, with all due respect to Argentina, the quality of rugby that the away side will deliver will be far superior to anything that we saw last weekend from the visitors. Australia are a side that are brimming with confidence and form and at their best will pose great questions of England at this moment in time.

Personnel wise England’s backline houses the familiar and exceptional glue of George Ford and Owen Farrell which will add greatly in attack and defence. 

With Australia’s threats, particularly Kurtley Beale, the vocal presence of Farrell needs to be there to secure England’s line and quickly react to what will be thrown at them. As firm as England held up last weekend, the questions that will be asked of them this afternoon will be much more testing ones. Will Genia is a constant threat, we all know how much Bernard Foley loves facing England at Twickenham and the aforementioned Kurtley Beale flies all over the park. 

When it comes to the home side’s attack then the bedding in issues that were present last weekend won’t be there and immediately that provides the opportunity for confidence to emanate off Ford and Farrell. Games become clunky and disjointed off the back of basic errors and neither England’s ten or 12 will make them today. There's no questioning the fact that lives will be made easier if England do as their head coach demands and 'physically dominate' Australia. 

Out the back England's 11, 14 and 15 have pace to burn and going forwards are as dynamic as they come. Jonny May's try-scoring record at Leicester speaks for itself, Anthony Watson's prior performances at full back indicate he is likely to be able to handle the occasion today and Elliot Daly must step up physically sharing a wing with Marika Koroibete. As a unit their own cohesiveness will be greatly tested, as will their high ball prowess, and they must pass with flying colours to provide the security that their side needs. 

Since Eddie Jones took over as England’s head coach, almost exactly two years ago, his presence has added another dimension to Test weeks against Australia. Whilst we’re all used to him being at the helm it doesn’t stop weeks like this one being filled with that little bit more intrigue to see what ‘pleasantries’ may be aimed his way. The past seven days have housed accusations of England’s ‘bullying’ tactics and a word or two about Eddie Jones being ‘a little bit spoilt’ when it comes to resources. 

The messages out of England’s camp from the man himself have been quite measured and calm. England's head coach has been an ever-present fixture at their media days this week and he has been keeping the messages fairly uniform. The Australian simply wants his side to play 'good English rugby', to ‘physically dominate’ Australia and use a key advantage that he believes that they have over Australia. That advantage is that the Wallabies haven't been able to get over the line against England for the past four Tests. 

The rainfall that was promised has just started to fall here at Twickenham Stadium and I truly hope that the conditions won't play any part in this encounter because England have a point to prove and so do Australia. The final point of note is that it's winner takes all today when it comes to the World Rugby rankings and the #2 position in the world. It's a position that I believe that England take great pride in holding and one that Australia would dearly love to pinch from them.  

England: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Jonny May, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Nathan Hughes. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Danny Care, 22 Henry Slade, 23 Semesa Rokoduguni.

Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Marika Koroibete, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Reece Hodge, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia; 1 Scott Sio, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Rob Simmons, 5 Blake Enever, 6 Ned Hanigan, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 8 Sean McMahon. Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Tom Robertson, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Ben McCalman, 21 Lopeti Timani, 22 Nick Phipps, 23 Karmichael Hunt.

England v Argentina: 'A Grindathon'

England’s autumn campaign is up and running and has started with a victory. It was a victory based on defiant defence and pulling through an afternoon that I'm sure the players themselves would describe as being  a 'somewhat frustrating' one the office. 

"It was a grindathon wasn’t it!? They played well, we were off the pace a little but I thought that there were some things that we did really well,” said Eddie Jones following the 21-8 victory. 

"The reality is that we haven’t played a game since March together and we had players coming back from the Lions who have done two training sessions with us so our fluency and understanding wasn’t there."

There's no questioning the fact his side's performance didn’t quite the pizzazz and fizz that we expected however in sport, at any level, afternoon's like Saturday's happen. Afternoons when things that you do in training stutter out there on the park. Afternoons when moves that you've run all week breakdown and afternoons when it feels everything is just that little bit harder than it should have be. These are the type of games when it's easy to let the frustration get the better of you and actually lose a match. Here I'm speaking from personal experience having been through them whilst playing national level netball in my teens and at university. As an athlete, and as a team, as much as you wish to avoid them these type of games are a fact of sporting life. Unfortuately not every day can be a walk in the park and when you get the result from a ‘grindathon’ you breathe a little sigh of relief, take it and move on knowing that next week will be better. 

On Saturday afternoon elements and areas that we thought would fly - like the midfield partnership - didn't however on any other day it may well have. Prior to the game England's head coach had highlighted that his 12-13 partnership was in its 'infancy' and  Eddie Jones' words on the subject after was that 'it just didn't gel'. I personally remain eager to see what the combination can do with further time together because the potential remains great. The interesting thing now will be to see if England's head coach decides to run the same combination again versus Australia and Samoa in order give the unit that time together?

“In terms of increasing the depth of our squad, which is the theme of 2017, we did that. We’ve got young Simmonds as a possibility at 8, Underhill looks like he can be a genuine seven, Harry Williams is coming on, Genge, Lozowski. Anthony Watston has given us a second option at full back. He did a great job. We’ve got to find one more option at full back then we’ve got the three.”

The above rings true in every sense. Sam Underhill looked a natural out there on the Twickenham turf and a player that wasn't mentioned above due to being more established - Nathan Hughes - really stepped up. The No. 8's carrying on the international stage is becoming more potent with every minute played and his hands to take George Ford's sublime pass for the try were outstanding.  

Eddie Jones' final task of the day on Saturday was to start laying pressure at Australia’s door by asking them to turn up and really be counted for at Twickenham Stadium next weekend. 

“We are hoping Australia bring their absolute best game. We want Australia to bring their best game and see where we are at.”

With that England’s head coach started to turn the spotlight onto next weekend's visitors   and inferred that if the Wallabies don’t bring their A game then they’ll be in a spot of bother! Clearly England need to make significant steps up in order to maintain their impressive home record under Eddie Jones and without question I believe that they will. 

A team that is perfect every single weekend won’t have the depth of experience required when it comes to the defining moments in the defining competitions. Roads to World Cups, and victories at them, aren't plain sailing and perfect and instead a couple of grinathons arrive along the way and teams will be better as a result of them. 

England v Argentina: Focus on England

“It’s going to be a tough game. They’re coming off the back of not a good season, they’re coach is under pressure and the players are under pressure. But, they know if they beat England at Twickenham then their whole season turns around.”

As you’d expect Eddie Jones hit the nail on the head when it came to context of this match for this afternoon's opponents. Argentina’s season has been challenging and yet all of the angst would go away in the blink of an eye if they delivered a win today. Whilst publically their Daniel Hourcade has batted the pressure back onto England, we all know that the pressure on England pressure is not the same as Argentina's in fact, it's of a totally different form. 

England’s pressure comes from their relentless drive to improve and of course the key difference between them and Argentina is that they’re working off a platform of victories and the confidence that, that provides. Eddie Jones’ side have been focused on this game since they came together for their first camp in August and without question their intention is to make a statement this afternoon. A statement that highlights their continued evolution and development as a side and a statement that’s delivered from by through a slightly ‘new look’ team. 

At the heart of that ‘new look’ is Exeter Chiefs’ Henry Slade. The Exeter Chief, like others that Eddie Jones has brought into the squad, hasn’t been thrown in from day dot and instead he has had work incredibly hard on his game in order to earn this start. Yes, Owen Farrell is being rested however we all know that Eddie Jones doesn't hand out starts during the autumn internationals on a whim. If Slade wasn't up to scratch and hadn't delivered the improvement that Jones had asked of him, then he wouldn't have got a look in. 

According to his international head coach the centre has learned to work on the ‘little things’ on top of his natural game and what a natural game it is too. His left foot will add a useful kicking option, his feet and ability moving forwards will keep Argentina guessing outside of George Ford and the both of them will create so much for others flat to the line. In short the skills of England's 10, 12 and 13 today are of the highest order and it's a combination that should ooze class and creativity from the word go, despite the slightly slippery conditions here at Twickenham. 

“We’ve got to make sure that at the start of the game we set the standard and the tone of the game and that’s going to start up front. It’s going to start with the forwards, with Dylan and the front row and it goes back from there. That’s the aim of the game, to put our stamp on up front."

The start. It’s always key but when it comes to playing against a team that you should beat well then it becomes even more important to set the tone.

Eddie Jones broke it down very simply on Thursday afternoon (above) and he is absolutely right. If England’s forwards dominate, own the gain line and own the collisions then the exceptional capabilities and qualities of this hugely exciting backline can thrive. 

The long and the short of it today at Twickenham Stadium is that this England side selected has the ability to turn heads with their output later. I’ve not discussed the bench but, when you read the names on it, I don’t need to say too much do I? England’s 'finishers' are  individuals that could easily start for this side and all will be chomping at the bit to get out there later. Sam Simmonds' chance has come a little sooner than he expected and today marks the start of a big window of opportunity of him while wouldn't it be great to see Semesa Rokoduguni arrive into the mix in the second half?

The only issue that could de-rail and this all-court performance that I've been discussing and hoping for is the drizzle that's descended on Twickenham Stadium. As yet it hasn't ceased however, I remain hopeful that come kick-off the weather will have sorted itself out! Regardless of the elements I expect to see England make a statement and make it well at the start of this 2017 Old Mutual Wealth Series. 

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Henry Slade, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Courtney Lawes, 5 George Kruis, 6 Chris Robshaw, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Nathan Hughes. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Danny Care, 22 Alex Lozowski, 23 Semesa Rokoduguni.

Watch the match live on Sky Sports Arena from 2.00pm. Kick-off is 3pm. 

Eddie Jones On...

On Thursday morning Eddie Jones’ selection decisions for England’s first Test of the 2017 Old Mutual Wealth Series were made clear and just a few hours later at Pennyhill Park he provided further insights into the decisions that he has made.

A full match preview article will be on the way during the course of Friday but before this one provides a snappier look at some of Eddie Jones' opinions on various subjects. 

Here the focus is on the Australian’s beliefs regarding their opponents, an insight into the reactions of Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje when they were told that they will be rested for the match and the head coach’s thoughts on Henry Slade’s development. 

Argentina

“It’s going to be a tough game. They’re coming off the back of not a good season, they’re coach is under pressure and the players are under pressure. But, they know if they beat England at Twickenham then their whole season turns around. They’ll go back to Buenos Aires sitting on the beach as heroes and everyone will want to buy them and beer and a steak. 

“So we’ve got to make sure that at the start of the game we set the standard and the tone of the game and that’s going to start up front. It’s going to start with the forwards, with Dylan and the front row and it goes back from there. That’s the aim of the game, to put our stamp on up front.”

Owen Farrell’s and Maro Itoje’s reactions to being rested

“They hate it, which is a great reaction. They hate it because they want to play every test. They love playing for England. They are proud of playing for England and they want to be part of a winning team. They don’t like it. 

“So we have got to convince them, not just me but the rest of the staff, that it is in their best interests for this period of time. Then for next week we will try to work out what is in their best interests again.”

Henry Slade’s development 

“It’s taken him some time. Sometimes those really talented kids don’t understand how you have to work hard, to change that talent into consistent performance. He’s really learned that. He is diligent about doing the small things right and his determination to get better has been outstanding.

“Just for instance, one of the most important stats we collect is on high-speed running. Imagine we kick the ball and you have to sprint after that ball, then the ball goes back over your head and you’ve got to spring back. He was the lowest in our team 12 months ago. On Tuesday when we trained he was the highest, and that just comes down to effort, application and doing the small things.”

England’s intention to be combative up front

"I think that rugby is always about that [combative up front]. That’s the great thing about our game… we’ve got a contest for the ball and that contest is between the big guys. The contest isn’t between the little guys for the ball, it’s between the big guys and you’ve got a tactical and physical contest for the ball. 

“That’s where the game is won or lost because if you get good quality ball then the little guys run with it and we’ve got guys that can run fast and that have good hands. So, we’re quite clear how we want to play rugby and we’re quite clear how we want to develop our game and this is another opportunity for us to get better on Saturday.”

Sam Underhill and back row options

"100%, he's a genuine openside. Curry is the same and Simmonds we're not quite sure yet. He might join the 6 and a half club! They're all talented players. 

"We've got some good young back-rowers coming through so it's quite exciting for us and they're all under the age of 20."

Where To Watch: England versus Argentina is live on Sky Sports Action and Main Event from 2pm on Saturday. Kick-off 3pm.