The mate-sipping London import aiming to down England

England vs. Argentina: Quilter Nations Series

Twickenham Allianz Stadium Date: Sunday, November Kick-off 16:10 GMT

A journey of about 7, 000 miles starts at the Andes and ends at Allianz Stadium.

And Rodrigo Isgro was experiencing each of them last autumn.

When the Argentina wing arrived at Harlequins, the culture shock was severe, with a conquistador moustache and thighs as thick as a gaucho’s steak.

A new game, a new club, and a new language were all present.

Isgro recalls that I have played sevens for the past five years and that I have only played fifteen games when I first arrive in England.

The 26-year-old was a short-format star; his Olympic rings are a souvenir of his Tokyo bronze-medal winning campaign. He was named the best sevens player in the world in 2023.

Isgro might have preferred to remain in that game and have a familiar network of team-mates who would travel the world.

Isgro’s first ever overseas trip, an appearance at the glitzy, albeit brief, Rugby X event at the O2 Arena in 2019, had taken place in London.

However, it was challenging to get used to his new home in Guildford. Without his team-mates, and one specifically, it would have been even harder.

Mendoza-born Isgro continues, “Marcus]Smith is a very good friend.”

When I arrived in England, he was fantastic. He also had a lot of time for me, as well as patience and understanding.

I didn’t speak the language because it wasn’t very good. He drinks “mate” with me every day and is a really good friend.

Smith and Isgro would share lifts during training with the traditional South American herbal beverage, which Lionel Messi, a legend of the Argentine football team, enjoyed.

On the pitch, they both worked well together. Isgro made his debut against Bath a quarter of an hour later when Smith cut blind, chipped across, and threw the ball over his opposing number’s head for a try.

Before half-time, Isgro added another goal, and he’s a kind of cult hero at the Stoop ever since, signing an extension to his contract in January.

He says, “I grew up a lot, both with my personality and the game,” “but it was difficult because the language is different.”

When England and Argentina face off in their final autumn international match at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, he and Smith will be on the opposite side of the road from the Stoop and on opposing teams.

And Isgro leads a pack of Prem Pumas who are pursuing the hosts.

Santiago Carreras and Juan Martin Gonzalez are both currently based in Bristol, while Santiago Carreras and Simon Benitez Cruz have recently been installed in Newcastle. This season, Isgro has signed with Guido Petti, Pedro Delgado, and Boris Wenger.

We “are always coming together,” Isgro says. weekly, at least once.

Agustin Creevy, a former Irish hooker in London, and I meet at his Kingston home for a barbeque. In the north, Juan Gonzalez and his Saracens team-mate Lucio Cinti, who is currently recovering from an injury, reside. We meet at Creevy’s house and the Argentina players at Quins reside in Guildford and the south.

Along with the meat, there are plenty of memories to chew on.

Is Isgro thinks that the English public is underestimating Argentina, who is ranked sixth in the world, given that they have seen their team win ten straight games and defeat the All Blacks in their most recent game?

He pauses before responding, which this time might not be due to language issues.

He states, “Our focus is on the game and improving it.”

If we perform the tasks that we’ve been working on throughout the week, the results will be predictable.

We focus solely on our game, I’m not sure if people think that, but we are.