England call on energetic Paul Hodgson to kick-start attack

Published on Wednesday 11 November 2009 22:25

LONDON Irish scrum-half Paul Hodgson will make his first Test start against Argentina on Saturday charged with jolting England's flat-lining attacking game into life.

Hodgson comes into the side along with the dynamic duo of No8 James Haskell and hooker Dylan Hartley after all three made an impression off the bench late in last weekend's 18-9 defeat to Australia.

England manager Martin Johnson was forced to make one other change, with 35-year-old Bath tighthead Duncan Bell replacing the injured David Wilson to make his first Test start since the 2005 Six Nations.

With ten props either injured or suspended, England's cupboard is so bare that Gloucester's Paul Doran-Jones has been catapulted on to the bench after playing just 266 minutes in the Guinness Premiership.

The decision to change personnel in the key positions of hooker, No8 and scrum-half is a direct response to a performance against the Wallabies that England's forwards coach John Wells described as "turgid".

Hartley and Haskell will carry the ball with greater aggression while England have looked to Hodgson for the urgency and direction he brings at scrum-half.

At London Irish, Hodgson is the catalyst of the Premiership's most dangerous back division, and Johnson said: "Paul is very, very good at getting the tempo in the game, which is what we want to do. Organising that slow ball game and turning it into dynamic ball that we can attack with is what we need to do. Paul is probably the best at the moment at keeping that tempo in the game.

"He brings a lot on to the field in terms of communication and leadership. There is a generalship about the way he plays at London Irish. It will be more difficult this weekend because he is not playing in the comfort of his club environment, but that is what Test rugby is."

Defence coach Mike Ford added that Hodgson, despite his diminutive 5ft 8in frame, is already one of the most important figures when England are on the back foot because of his big mouth. "Paul is like an extra coach on the field for me – he is the best talker on the team," said Ford. "In terms of telling players what to do and were to go, he never shuts up. The energy he brings is fantastic."

Being loud and lippy is part of a scrum-half's on-field DNA, but Hodgson, with four caps under his belt, now feels more comfortable than ever barking out the directions – even to someone as experienced as Jonny Wilkinson.

"It is easier now than when I was first in the England squad because you don't mind having an opinion and shouting out commands. I relish doing that at the club. We call it small talk. It is emphasising the finer points of how we want to play," said Hodgson.

Argentina, meanwhile, will unleash a formidable forward pack but unfamiliar back division, after suffering injuries to their key playmakers. Juan Martin Hernandez and Felipe Contepomi are both out injured, while head coach Santiago Phelan is also without Leicester winger Lucas Amorosino and Harlequins' Gonzalo Camacho on Saturday. But up front, the Pumas will pose England one of the toughest scrummaging challenges in world rugby – with Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma and Martin Scelzo forming a powerful front row.

In total, the Pumas have made seven changes from their 24-22 win over England in Salta in June.