England A Lean on Eight Test Men for Argentina Clash

England A have gone strong for Friday night's clash with Argentina, with head coach Mark Mapletoft naming eight Test-capped men in his starting side. The bulk of that experience sits in the backline, where Joe Carpenter, Noah Caluori, Luke Northmore, Max Ojomoh and Charlie Atkinson all start, while captain Fitz Harding leads the side from number eight alongside Jack Kenningham and Exeter's Ethan Roots in the back row. It is a selection that says plenty about the fixture's importance: this is not a development exercise for its own sake, but a genuine test against tough opposition, with senior experience blended into a side still fighting for higher honours. There is fresh blood too. Former Maori All Black and current Newcastle back-rower Max Hicks is set for his first England A appearance off the bench, alongside Saracens prop Alex O'Driscoll and Harlequins scrum-half Lucas Friday. For the capped men, it is a chance to press for senior recall; for the debutants, a first taste of the pathway's sharp end. Either way, Friday night promises a proper contest.