Forget the tactical nuances, Argentina are in town and the big men love nothing better than throwing their weight around – actually weight and a fair bit of technical know-how when it comes to scrum time.

While England have struggled to find a front row the three Argentinians, Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma and Martín Scelzo, have been together for some time. They know their business and on days like today when rain is forecast can be match winners. In short, an awful lot is going to depend on England's tight-head and anchor, Duncan Bell. If he goes backwards, the link between backs and forwards at the scrum breaks down.

There are a couple of things Argentina tend to do. At a midfield scrum on their own ball, look for the second surge. They know the England flankers will be looking to cover breaks and hope to catch them napping and unbound in an area where the penalty means a certain three points. In a tight game, and this is likely to be one, it's a winner.

Otherwise they may go for the new pairing of James Haskell at No8 and the scrum-half Paul Hodgson. Haskell is not over-experienced in what is quite a technical position and, if the scrum retreats, life will be difficult, especially if the Argentinian scrum-half, Alfredo Lalanne, a team-mate of Hodgson at London Irish, targets the link.

The big plus is that Hodgson tends not to flap and is vocal, so he can help by talking his No8 through the difficult times.

Away from the scrum watch out for the work of Ledesma around the lineout. When Argentina are attacking, the hooker tends to throw to the middle or back, setting up a drive which he hopes will suck in the England flankers.

If the open-side, Lewis Moody, commits to the maul, watch Ledesma break off, head for the hole that Moody has just created and link with Lalanne and the backs. At Clermont Auvergne, where Ledesma and Scelzo play, the hooker has turned it into something of an art form.