England vs Argentina: Top 5 Los Pumas Players that England Need to Watch Out For in Rugby World Cup Clash

England had an underwhelming stint in the 2023 Summer Nations Series, with just one win in four matches. Despite being heavily unfavoured heading into the defeat against World Number One ranked Ireland, England also suffered unexpected losses to Wales and Fiji, the latter being England's first ever defeat to a 'tier two' rugby nation.

With just one win recorded, in the return home fixture against Warren Gatland's Wales, England have sunk down to eighth in the World Rugby rankings. This is a record low they've only seen once before, following the pool stage elimination at the home-soil 2015 Rugby World Cup. Meanwhile, Argentina are flying high at sixth in the world rankings, with former Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika at the helm.

Cheika kicked his Pumas side into top gear throughout the Summer, with the highlight being a win over Australia in the 2023 Rugby Championship. Argentina almost upset the Springboks in Johannesburg, with the 22-21 defeat presenting a near miss for the reigning World Champions. Cheika's side ended their Rugby World Cup warm-ups with a resounding 62-3 victory over Spain, as Los Pumas have their tails up heading into the trip to France.

Fans of the Gallagher Premiership would be familiar with some of Argentina's top stars, and we've picked out five that England fans need to be aware of heading into this Saturday in Marseille.

Hooker Julian Montoya is well versed in leadership, and rises to the occasion to wear the armband for his country. He is regarded amongst the best players in the world that don the number two jersey, and is arguably the most instantly recognisable name on Argentina's team-sheet. Montoya is a man that England Head Coach Steve Borthwick knows all too well from his time at Leicester Tigers.

The hooker was an integral part of the Tigers foundation, that toppled Saracens to win the 2022 Gallagher Premiership. Montoya is set for a re-union with his title-winning teammates this Saturday, as he packs down the front row against Ellis Genge, and with Dan Cole expected to return at tighthead following the injury doubt surrounding Kyle Sinckler. Montoya also has a taste for the try-line, as he scored 10 tries for Leicester last season, in 17 appearances across the Premiership and Champions Cup.

Montoya's try-scoring efforts continued throughout the latest Rugby Championship, as he added a momentum turning score against Australia. The hooker's try shortly after half-time gave Los Pumas an early second half boost, which they were able to right out on to for the win, and stun Eddie Jones' dis-jointed Wallabies. A hooker of the highest calibre, Montoya will bring the best out of Jamie George, as the two front rowers clash in a re-match of the 2022 Premiership Final.

An honourable mention is in order for Argentina's replacement hooker, as fan favourite Augustine Creevy is set to re-enforce the Pumas pack once Montoya runs out of steam. Creevy became a cult hero at London Irish, and following the collapse of the Exiles, the 38-year-old veteran has found a new home at Sale Sharks, with off-the-bench appearances expected behind Luke Cowan-Dickie.

Despite not being Argentina's resident goal-kicker, fly half Santiago Carreras can certainly help build a points tally for his country. The Gloucester halfback scored an important try against England in the 2022 Autumn Nations Series, as Argentina recorded their first win at Twickenham since 2006. Carreras also has proven successes from the boot, having provided a handful of valuable points for the Cherry and Whites throughout his three seasons at Kingsholm.

Like the majority of his Pumas teammates, Carreras arrived in the Premiership after being signed as a free agent. Re-wind back to 2020, and the Covid pandemic had a profound impact upon the rugby world, with Buenos Aires based Super Rugby side Jaguares forced into administration. The sole Argentine club in the decorated Super Rugby landscape, Jaguares' collapse flooded the transfer market with high-quality Argentina internationals, the majority of which found new homes in the Premiership.

Carreras took no time settling into life at Gloucester, with six tries in his first season. As versatile as they come, the 25-year-old has starred at fly half, fullback and on both wings for the West Country side, and has scored a total of 17 tries across all competitions for Gloucester. Another honourable mention is in order for Argentina's veteran fly half Nicholas Sanchez, who left Jaguares as the club's all time points scorer, with 392 points in four seasons.

A stalwart of the Argentine national team, Sanchez has since begun to take a back seat on the bench having passed the torch on to Santiago Carreras. With 83 test caps to his name, Sanchez is a living legend amongst Los Pumas' new breed, with his invaluable experience set to drive his nation forward, and capitalise on a favourable Rugby World Cup draw. The 34-year-old is closing in on the twilight of his career, and currently plies his trade with Brive in the French Top 14.

One of the latest arrivals at the StoneX Stadium, electrifying utility back Lucio Cinti will be making his Saracens debut after the Rugby World Cup. An exciting signing for Mark McCall's side, Cinti will remain in the English capital after breaking onto the scene at his former club of London Irish. Saracens fans will get an early view of Cinti's talents this weekend, as Argentina look to kick-start their World Cup campaign with a vital win over England.

A well-rounded playmaker, Cinti is another Pumas back who excels in multiple positions along the attacking line. Predominantly a right winger with London Irish, Cinti also starred on the left touchline and at fullback for the Exiles, during his two seasons at the G-tech Community Stadium. However, Head Coach Michael Cheika has often utilised Cinti's talents in the midfield, with the 23-year-old running out at both inside and outside centre, in the latest Rugby Championship campaign.

Cheika has switched up his previous tactic of using Cinti out wide, as he interchanged the young flyer with Santiago Cordero (also certainly worthy of a mention), on the left wing throughout the 2022 Rugby Championship. Regardless of whether Cinti runs out against England at 11, 12, 13 or 14, he presents an adaptable and unpredictable threat with the ball-in-hand. His resolute defence makes him a key man in Los Pumas' blue and white wall, with the technical prowess to chop down England's powerful line runners.

The possible match-ups of Cinti vs Manu Tuilagi or Ollie Lawrence presents some enticing encounters, with all eyes on this Saturday to see who comes out on top. As mentioned, flying Bordeax-Begles winger Santiago Cordero is worth a discussion, as his out-and-out pace has burnt track-marks across the pitches throughout France. Cordero scored nine tries in his latest Top 14 campaign, including a hat-trick against Perpignan, and a brace against Brive.

The England fans who attended Twickenham last November, to see Argentina secure a dramatic one-point win, will be all too familiar with the name Emiliano Boffelli. Not including the team announcements, Boffelli's name rang out throughout the stadium known as 'HQ' on eight occasions. The fullback scored a try, added his own conversion, and slotted a further six penalties to build a 25-point individual tally.

Currently playing his club rugby North of the English border with Edinburgh, Boffelli has pressed on to establish himself as an out-right fullback, after rotating through the back-three with his former club Racing 92. After just eight appearances for the Parisian side, Boffelli has settled into life in the Scottish capital, with a strong scoring record of 16 tries in his first two seasons. Boffelli has also ran out at left wing during the latest United Rugby Championship campaign, once again presenting a versatile threat from an Argentine back.

Despite his talents with the ball, Boffelli's key weapon is his goal kicking. In his last meeting against England, the 28-year-old missed just one out of seven attempts at the Twickenham posts. Boffelli tied All Blacks fly half Richie Mo'unga to top spot in the points scoring charts, with 71 points throughout the 2022 Rugby Championship. He followed this up with 16 points and a third-place finish (behind Mo'unga and Mannie Libbok) in the latest, and albeit reduced 2023 Rugby Championship, last July.

Argentina's versatile players are not limited to the backs, with Juan Martin Gonzalez Samso providing Michael Cheika with a hard-hitting back rower that can excel on both flanks and at number eight. Another player who vacated Argentina following the collapse of Jagurares, Gonzalez was unfortunate enough to experience another club's financial administration, as part of London Irish. Gonzalez holds the accolade of being the last player to score a Premiership try for London Irish, as he crossed over for the Exiles in their season closer against Exeter Chiefs last May.

However, like his Pumas teammate Lucio Cinti, Gonzalez was promptly fished out of the free agents pool after agreeing a deal with 2023 Premiership champions Saracens. Gonzalez made 36 starting appearances for the Exiles, out of 54 caps. Despite being just 22-years-old, the back-row star has valuable first team experience at the highest level for club and country. Gonzalez' talents were identified at an early age, and he has since made 24 test match caps for Los Pumas, after being fast-tracked through the Argentina U20s set-up.

Be prepared to see some scintillating battles between Gonzalez, and his soon to be Saracens teammate Ben Earl. The two pride themselves on defensive work rate and hard-hitting offence, with this match-up possibly made even sweeter if Earl slots in at eight, in the suspended absence of Billy Vunipola. With Gonzalez on the flank, the two could well clash if Earl picks-and-goes from the back of the scrum. This battle within the war is set to take place this Saturday, with Marseille hosting this must-win opening contest between England and Argentina.