Rugby Union: English kids must watch their backs

BUENOS Aires has never exactly been a home from home for Englishmen.

The Argentines roll out the red mist rather than the red carpet for the English - whatever the sport.

So my message to coach Clive Woodward's youngsters flying out there tomorrow is simple: Watch your backs, fronts, behinds and any other part of your body where a hefty boot or fist could land.

Argentina are a throwback to the old days. Big, powerful forwards who take no prisoners. They will try to intimidate our inexperienced men, as they have past England teams.

Having Phil Vickery as captain will help enormously. He knows the score and will tell the younger tourists what to expect.

The party has been further hit by withdrawals through injury, with Wasps duo Josh Lewsey and Simon Shaw, Leicester's Leon Lloyd and Gloucester's Ed Pearce joining James Simpson-Daniel on the sidelines. Tom May, Rob Fidler and David Rees have been called up as replacements.

It's a massive tour for fringe players with dreams of playing in next year's World Cup. I wish the likes of Steve Thompson, Ben Kay and Charlie Hodgson all the best.

While Thompson and Kay have at least proved themselves capable of handling the big international stage, Hodgson still needs to show what he is really made of. It's one thing doing it against the Barbarians in a friendly at Twickenham, but another to do it against the Argies.

Sale's Hodgson may have nearly kicked a world-record number of points against Romania last year, but that bears no comparison to what will happen in the next two weeks.

England badly need an adequate understudy to Jonny Wilkinson at No.10. Hodgson has the chance to make that spot his own.

Argentina will rely on Agustin Pichot. The dynamic little scrum- half has been a big hit with Bristol fans and is a very useful performer. Bordeaux centre Lisandro Arbizu will also cause plenty of problems.

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