AFP/London

Irish scrum-half Paul Hodgson will make his first Test start against Argentina tomorrow after being given the job of reviving England’s faltering back division.

Hodgson looked lively when coming on as a replacement during last weekend’s 18-9 loss to Australia at Twickenham, as did No 8 James Haskell and hooker Dylan Hartley, who’ve also forced their way into Martin Johnson’s starting side to face the Pumas.

England manager Johnson, explaining why he’d opted for Hodgson over Harlequins’ Danny Care, now on the bench, said he would help the side cope better with slow ball, a key problem during what forwards coach John Wells called a “turgid” display against the Wallabies.

Bringing Haskell and Hartley into two other key positions should also help sharpen up England’s game and Johnson said Hodgson was the ideal man to raise the tempo.

“Paul is very, very good at getting the tempo in the game, which is what we want to do,” explained Johnson after announcing his team on Wednesday.

“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 onto the field in terms of communication and leadership. There is a generalship about the way he plays at London Irish,” added England’s 2003 World Cup winning captain.

“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.

“We are fully confident that he will being that. What he brings on the training field and around the group is a real maturity.”

Defence coach Mike Ford added: “Paul is like an extra coach on the field for me, he is the best talker on the team.

“In terms of telling players what to do and where to go, he never shuts up. The energy he brings is fantastic.”

Hodgson, capped four times by England, said: “I don’t think there are many quiet nines around! 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.”

And Jonny Wilkinson, who will be outside Hodgson at fly-half, said he was a fan of the London Irish man’s style.

“There are not enough players like him who commentate on the game and it is the ideal attitude and approach,” Wilkinson explained.