Bath winger Banahan and Newcastle prop Wilson have been rewarded for impressive displays in Saturday’s 33-26 defeat by the Barbarians.

May, the Toulon-bound utility back, starts at inside centre where he will form a robust midfield partnership with Leicester’s Dan Hipkiss. Jamie Noon has been ruled out with a calf injury.

The Armitage brothers are reunited in an England side for the second time, Delon continuing at full-back and Steffon winning his second cap at openside.

There are five changes to the side that started against the Barbarians with Wasps back row James Haskell joining Banahan, Wilson, May and Steffon Armitage.

The front five and half-back pairing of Andy Goode and Danny Care are unchanged, while in the back row Chris Robshaw and Lewis Moody drop out of the squad.

Brive hooker Steve Thompson features among the substitutes for the second week in succession and is joined by fellow World Cup winner Ben Kay.

Julian White, the Leicester prop, will win his 50th cap should he make an appearance from a bench that also includes Sale’s Mathew Tait.

England open the series at Old Trafford, their first visit to Manchester since 1997, before travelling to Argentina to play the second and final Test in Salta seven days later.

The Pumas, who finished third at the 2007 World Cup, sit one place higher in the International Rugby Board world rankings in fifth.

England team: D Armitage (London Irish), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), D Hipkiss (Leicester), T May (Newcastle), M Banahan (Bath); A Goode (Brive), D Care (Harlequins); T Payne (Wasps), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Newcastle), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), L Deacon (Leicester), J Haskell (Wasps), S Armitage (London Irish), N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements: S Thompson (Brive), J White (Leicester), B Kay (Leicester), J Crane (Leicester), P Hodgson (London Irish), S Vesty (Leicester), M Tait (Sale Sharks).