WillGreenwood

To succeed at the World Cup, England must avoid New Zealand in the quarter-finals. The best way to do that is to win Pool B which makes victory against Argentina essential. The Pool draw has been kind to England, giving them the opportunity to - in theory - stay away from the hosts until the final. They must take it.

Nobody in the England camp is under any illusions about the importance of the opening match. They must not get off to the kind of terrible start they did in 2007. This World Cup will not be as forgiving and there will be little opportunity for redemption if England stumble early on.

A bright beginning is essential in this match too but will England manage it? They come into the game in good form but the first 20 minutes will tell us a lot about how this one will go. Argentina are dogged scrappers and street fighters, they're fearless, capable of mixing it with anyone. Their tackling is excellent.

Argentina's problem is always their lack of games and the fact that their players are scattered across Europe's clubs. They are excellent, however, at regaining continuity and momentum very quickly and I believe they will be a very different proposition to what they were in their warm-up matches. They are an ageing team, Felipe Contepmi may not be as strong as he was but full-back Martin Rodriguez is a special player and England will not want to get into a dogfight against Mario Ledesma and co.

But the Pumas do lack pace. They don't look like a side that can run 100 metres in a play whereas England have quick, ultra-mobile players such as Chris Ashton, and even Tom Croft and James Haskell, who is a splendid athlete, up front. Louis Deacon will make some big hits and be a massive presence at the rucks.

Precision and swift tempo will win the match for England. If you're a proud Red Rose fan who wants to put his money where his heart is, you'll take them to triumph by over 12.5 points. I'm not sure: we could see a tight first half and have to wait until around the hour mark for a try from either side. There could be nerves flying around the English ranks and they might take time to find their rhythm. If so, the usual naysayers will undoubtedly condemn them and lambast Johnno's selections. But I've heard it all before and I'm confident they will come good, probably by a margin of under 12.5. If you're looking for value, consider a bet on Argentina/England in the half-time/full-time.

Recommended Bets
1pt Back Argentina/England in the Half-time/Full-time market
3pts Back England to win by under 12.5 points @ 2.9
1pt Back 51-60 in the First Try market

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