In their Rugby World Cup match against Argentina, England must start the forgotten man with seven changes

England must make changes to their starting XV against Argentina in the Rugby World Cup bronze final.

For Friday’s third-place play-off match against Argentina, England should draft a different lineup than usual, and not merely to appease the team members who have been training ground tackle bag carriers for the majority of the World Cup.

Steve Borthwick’s first-choice team faces a mental challenge when they play Argentina on Friday night. They are still reeling from the misery of narrowly losing to world champion South Africa in the semi-final. Therefore, there is a compelling pragmatic case for adding a few new legs and brains.

Henry Arundell, who was last seen running in five tries against Chile before vanishing from the face of the planet moments later, ought to be at the top of the list. There were rumors that Arundell got into a fight with Owen Farrell on the training field, and there might have been some truth to it. However, the most likely explanation was that Arundell wasn’t a good enough high kick contester on the wing, and that was more important given how Borthwick wanted the team to play.

In a match where not much is riding on the outcome, England will undoubtedly want to unfasten their tactical cage against the Pumas.

Argentina were ripped apart by an All Blacks side who moved the ball in their semi-final and if England decide to widen their horizons, the ultra-rapid Arundell would be a potent addition.

On the other hand, if Borthwick can manage to give captain Farrell a night off, it would be fantastic to see Marcus Smith in his rightful role as a stand-off. Although Smith has occasionally performed well coming off the bench during this World Cup, he remains a No 10 at his core. Smith has stepped in as a temporary full-back.

Kyle Sinckler and Ellis Genge must start in the front row. Their final recollections of this World Cup cannot include coughing up scrum penalties, which prevented England from making it to the championship game. Among them Theo Dan ought to be given a chance as well; he was benched for Jamie George in three straight games.

Borthwick must learn more about Jack Walker, the team’s other hooker at a position where depth is scarce, and the youthful Saracen. Cohesion may be impacted by changing half of his side, but the chance for reward and risk are worth it, particularly for this specific match.

In the greater scheme of things, how significant is a bronze match? Can you remember, though, if England won or lost that one other time back in 1995? Indeed. The outcome is quickly forgotten in the passage of time. In Pretoria, England was defeated 19–9 by France, for the record.

By extension, there ought to be some space for sentiment even though it’s still the World Cup. One of this campaign’s forgotten heroes is Ben Youngs, the record-holding captain for England. He’s only spent fifty minutes on the field.

His international career will most likely conclude on Friday night in Paris at the age of 34. He shouldn’t be left to quietly fade away into the sunset after 13 years. After a career of such distinction, Youngs deserves to make his final bow while donning an England shirt for the 125th time, even if it’s from the bench.