Woodward reflects on new options after glorious win

Argentina 18 England 26: England's stand-ins shine in silencing Argentinians despite daunting atmosphere while Six Nations' champions slip to defeat

It remains to be seen how many one-cap wonders participated in England's remarkable silencing of the Puma hordes at the Velez Sarsfield Stadium on Saturday – at least one debutant, the high-calibre Bristol wing Phil Chistophers, is unlikely to disappear off the red rose map in a hurry – but those who fail to make Clive Woodward's next cut will remember their day in the sun as wonderful in the extreme.

As for those big-name players who decided that June on the beach was a more attractive prospect that June on the pampas... well, they must wait and squirm.

Woodward always insisted that his side, no more than a third string outside the scrum, had the beating of the Argentinians, and while the manager has indulged in the occasional flight of fancy during his long stint in the top job, he was bang on the money this time.

The Pumas were broken long before the finish, to the extent that some of their players were negotiating shirt-swappings with their opposite numbers while the game was in progress. "That was weird,'' said Andy Robinson, England's assistant coach. "I've never seen anything like it.''

Never one to engage in direct public criticism of individuals, Woodward would not be drawn on his feelings towards those who could have been here, but were not: experienced hands like Matt Dawson and Will Greenwood, who had been central figures on the manager's initial tour roster. What Woodward did say was instructive, though. "People have shown themselves capable of handling pressure in a very difficult environment, and the coaches have taken careful note of what has happened here,'' he remarked. Interesting.

While it is inconceivable that Woodward will field more than eight of Saturday's Test team against New Zealand at Twickenham in November – the number may be as low as five – resourceful, thoroughly professional performances like this inevitably calls for a degree of selectorial shift. For instance, Ben Kay is now the senior lock forward in England – not Danny Grewcock, not even Martin Johnson, but Ben Kay. Indeed, when the All Blacks come visiting, the second rows will be Kay plus one. "The bloke is world class,'' Robinson beamed. "There is nothing he cannot do in this game.''

There are tilts and movements elsewhere. The back-row combination of Lewis Moody, Joe Worsley and the outstanding Alex Sanderson worked so effectively on Saturday that it is legitimate to ponder whether the established Hill-Back-Dallaglio unit will ever come together again. Moody, pretty much the best player in last season's Premiership, assumed the breakaway duties with such confidence that he is likely to follow Kay, his Leicester club mate, on to the national team sheet without passing "Go''.

If Woodward can derive great satisfaction from this result, so too can the Premiership fraternity. Agustin Pichot, the Argentinian captain, admitted that the Puma forwards were exhausted during the second half. "They could not live with the pace because they do not play in the Premiership and are not familiar with the speed of rugby in that competition,'' the scrum-half said.

Five of his pack play in France, however, and if Pichot is correct in his diagnosis of defeat, there is now a clear gap in quality between Europe's two great domestic club tournaments. Three years ago anyone suggesting that the English league was stronger than its French equivalent would have been put in a straitjacket.

Talking of which, there was more than a whiff of the madhouse at the start of the weekend proceedings. Indeed, the noise was so great that the tourists would not have heard a note of their own anthem had it been performed by Deep Purple at full volume. Such was their mastery during the second half, which they won 23-6 and by two tries to nil, they were able to listen to a lone Englishman, lubricated by a gallon of local cerveza, singing "Rule Britannia" to the tune of "My Old Man's A Dustman". Memories are made of this.

Unsurprisingly, given their shortage of know-how, England took 40 minutes to realise that the Pumas, recent conquerors of precisely half the Six Nations and serious contenders against the All Blacks, were there for the taking. The early scrummages went the Argentinians' way – no surprise there – and Gonzalo Quesada was his usual accurate self, hitting the spot with four penalties. But an English midfield attack after five minutes, initiated by the capable Charlie Hodgson and continued by Ben Johnston, opened up all manner of possibilities, and they were not lost on the magnificent Kay.

"I knew there were gaps that could be exploited,'' the lock said. "The Pumas were leaving the rucks early to close us down, and there were some pretty obvious lines of running as a result. I mentioned it at half-time. It was a matter of belief, as much as anything, and of playing the game the way we had rehearsed it.'' If any rugby player ever practised what he preached, Kay did on Saturday. Within four minutes of the restart, he gathered a clever inside pass from Andy Gomarsall and blazed a 30-metre trail to the line for the opening try.

England's second try was even more clean-cut. David Flatman, the Saracens prop, had endured a torrid first half at the set-piece – the visitors' front-row operation was adversely affected by the back problems that had prevented Phil Vickery, the captain, scrummaging in training – but he was sharp enough in the loose. Flatman had a hand in the approach work for Kay's try, and when he found himself in space at the end of the third quarter, he sensed Christophers steaming up in support, judged his pass to perfection and watched the wing embarrass the hapless Ignacio Corletto with a textbook side-step and complete the decisive score under the posts.

Tim Stimpson's late penalty from halfway ensured there would be no swing towards the Pumas, and the game ended in silence. "When they boo you from the stands, you use it as motivation,'' Hodgson said. "You want to shut them up.'' Right now, Argentinian rugby is as quiet as a mouse.

ARGENTINA: I Corleto (Narbonne); G Camardon (Roma), J Orengo (Perpignon), F Contepomi (Bristol), D Albanese (Leeds); G Quesada (Narbonne), A Pichot (Bristol, capt); M Reggiardo (Castres), F Mendez (Mendoza), O Hasan (Agen), I Fernandez Lobbe (Castres), R Alvarez (Perpignon), S Phelan (CASI), R Martin (San Isidro), G Longo (Narbonne). Replacements: L Oftiglia (Hindu) for Alvarez 42-56, and Phelan 68; D Ginnantonio (La Rochelle ) for Quesade 61-65; R Grau (Liceo Mendoza) for Reggiardo 66; M Ledesma (Narbonne) for Menez 72.

ENGLAND: M Horak (London Irish); T Stimpson (Leicester), G Appleford (London Irish), B Johnston (Saracens), P Christophers (Bristol); C Hodgson (Sale), A Gomarsall (Gloucester); D Flatman (Saracens), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester, capt), A Codling (Harlequins), B Kay (Leicester), A Sanderson (Sale), L Moody (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps).

Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).