England lock Courtney Lawes became the first player to be cited at the World Cup on Monday for kneeing Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma in the head when making a touchline tackle.

The English delegation has been informed of the citation which will go before Independent Judicial Officer Terry Willis with a hearing to be held in Auckland on Tuesday.

England defeated Argentina 13-9 on Saturday in what was a bruising encounter in Dunedin.

Lawes was involved in a fierce tackle on Pumas centre Gonzalo Tieisi, who was later ruled out of the World Cup with a knee injury and also the incident with Ledesma when the England player piled on top of him after he had been tackled to the ground.

England manager Martin Johnson, responding to Lawes's citing, said Monday: "We have received notification of Courtney's citing.

"We will of course provide Rugby World Cup with any information required and attend the hearing as requested."

An England spokesman added the team would not be making any further statement on Lawes's citing until after the hearing.

Northampton's Lawes won his 11th cap against Argentina.

The 22-year-old missed this season's Six Nations with a knee injury and was taken to hospital on a stretcher after a clash at an England trial match two weeks before last month's warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff.

Lawes, speaking before the Argentina match, emphasised the need to match the physicality of the Pumas.

"I don't mind a scuffle every now and then. I just do it because I can and it gets under their skin," said Lawes, who can also play as a flanker.

"They're going to be big and they're going to be physical, that's what they pride themselves on, but physicality's part of my game as well."

England, currently training in Queenstown, continue their Pool B campaign against Georgia when they return to Dunedin's Otago Stadium on Sunday.

AFP