Rugby-Argentina face England with injury-depleted back division

By Rex Gowar

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Argentina will field an experienced pack and a raw pair of halfbacks when they take on England at Twickenham in their first match of their tour of Britain on Saturday (1430 GMT).

In the team named by coach Santiago Phelan on Wednesday, four of the front five and captain Juan Fernandez Lobbe, who will play at number eight, were in the Argentina side that finished third at the 2007 World Cup.

"We're going to have to fight a lot in the rucks since they base their game on slowing down delivery from the ruck," Fernandez Lobbe told reporters in London on Tuesday.

Halfbacks Alfredo Lalanne and Santiago Fernandez have begun to cement places in the Pumas team since that achievement which has earned Argentina their invitation to the Tri-nations in 2012.

Lalanne played at scrumhalf and Fernandez, flyhalf for his club Hindu, was a centre in Argentina's 24-22 victory over England in Salta in June when the sides last met.

Natal Sharks flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez, who steered the Pumas to that win after they had lost the previous test 37-15 in Manchester a week earlier, is missing the tour through injury.

Also missing is Toulon's Felipe Contepomi, who has not played since suffering a knee injury in last season's Heineken Cup semi-final playing for Leinster.

Fullback Horacio Agulla, wing Lucas Borges and centre Gonzalo Tiesi will give the backs the benefit of their experience as members of the World Cup squad.