Moseley fly-half Ollie Thomas will start for the England Counties in their match against Rosario, Argentina's provincial champions, tomorrow.

The 22-year-old celebrated his birthday yesterday sat on the coach to Rosario where the tourists will have the second match of a three-match tour at the Club Atletico del Rosario.

In the first fixture Thomas came on as a replacement for Stourbridge fly-half Duncan Hughes midway through the second half of the loss to a physical Argentine XV.

He coped well and has clearly impressed coaches Ben Ryan and Paul Westgate enough to dislodge Hughes for tomorrow's match.

Thomas said: " I was delighted when I heard that I was starting.

"For the first four days when I got here I was giving it the best I could to start against Argentina and was a little bit disappointed when I was left out.

"The match against Rosario is going to be one of the strangest experiences I have ever had in rugby.

"The good thing is that you don't know anything about them so you can't worry."

North Midlands captain Hughes was unable to save his team from the 36-10 defeat by an experienced home XV. The Stourton Park fly-half contributed half of England's points with a touchline conversion of Penzance & Newlyn winger Matt Jess's first-half try, followed by a penalty before the break.

But Counties, who led 10-7 at the half time, surrendered control in the second half and, eventually, their two-year unbeaten record to an Argentinian side that included a number of players who have already been capped by the Pumas.

Thomas said: "They were a typical Argentinian side. "hey had probably the biggest front row I have ever seen.

"I made a couple of tackles on the centres but stayed well clear from that sort of stuff.

"The pace was pretty quick but the forwards were feeling it more than the backs.

"I wasn't uncomfortable at that pace, though, even though you get more time at ten."

Hughes and Thomas were in the North Midlands squad that was beaten by Hertfordshire in the final of the County Championship Shield at Twickenham last month.

Thomas finished a standout campaign as the top scorer in National Two and led Moseley to finish third in the league and in good shape to mount a challenge for promotion next season.

England Counties's next match after tomorrow will be against Uruguay in Montevideo on Saturday.