Argentina pick six forwards on the bench against England

:Argentina's Juan Cruz Mallia returns at fullback to face England in their Rugby World Cup Pool D clash in Marseille on Saturday as coach Michael Cheika opted for six forwards on the bench.

Mallia is part of a back three with goal-kicker Emiliano Boffelli and Mateo Carreras on the wings and a powerful midfield of Santiago Chocobares and Lucio Cinti.

Santiago Carreras is at flyhalf and Gonzalo Bertranou gets the nod at number nine in what has been Cheika's preferred half-back pairing this season.

The team is captained by hooker Julian Montoya, who packs down with props Thomas Gallo and Francisco Gomez Kodela.

Montoya was Argentina's leading try-scorer at the 2019 World Cup and six of his 11 career tries have come at global tournaments.

The second row is made up of fit-again Matias Alemanno and Tomas Lavanini, who last played as a pair at the World Cup in 2015.

Former captain Pablo Matera is on the flank along with Marcos Kremer, and Juan Martin Gonzalez is at number eight, as Cheika named a 6-2 split between forwards and backs on his bench.

"There was a lot of preparation, not only the weeks in Portugal (in a training camp), but also for the work done in Argentina. All our players are ready for the first game," Cheika said earlier this week, adding that he would not be drawn into complacency by England's recent troubles.

England slumped to a 30-22 loss against Fiji at Twickenham last month to record their first-ever defeat by the visitors, leaving them in disarray ahead of the World Cup

"We are only thinking about ourselves," added Cheika. "I say it with being respectful: everything happening outside is a distraction for us."

Replacement hooker Agustin Creevy will play in his fourth World Cup, joining Mario Ledesma, Felipe