Ugo Monye told skysports.com he is expecting a "massively physical" match against the Pumas.
England star expects tough match against Argentina
England full-back Ugo Monye is expecting a "massively physical" match against Argentina when the teams collide at Twickenham.
The Harlequins star put in some notable performances on the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa this summer, even scoring a crucial try in the final match of the series to help avoid a 3-0 whitewash.
But after featuring in England's disappointing 18-9 loss to Australia last Saturday, the 26-year-old believes the Argentineans should not be taken lightly.
"I'm expecting a massively physical game against Argentina," Monye told
skysports.com.
"They're very passionate about their rugby, despite not having the resources that a lot of other teams have.
"It will be a very tough encounter and we're looking forward to a challenging match."
New role
The loss of full-back Delon Armitage to injury has seen Monye abandon his usual wing post to take an emergency turn in the number 15 jersey, and the Londoner revealed he is enjoying settling into his new role.
"I've played a few games for Quins at full-back and I'm quite enjoying the change to be honest," said Monye.
"It's a work in progress, but I think everything in international rugby is a work in progress.
"There are a few things I need to work on at number 15 and I'm always looking to improve."
Monye insisted that aside from the initial frustration of losing to the Wallabies, the England side have thrown themselves into preparations for the upcoming Twickenham showdown.
"It's obviously disappointing, we're all pretty gutted because it's not something we envisaged happening," he said.
"On the positive side, we looked after the ball really well and in the first half we had Australia where we wanted them.
"Most of the boys played quite well against Australia, but as a team we need a better collective performance.
"It's good to be back in camp and back to training and I'm confident in my ability."
Monye also acknowledged that an obvious boost to the team comes from the return of the legendary Jonny Wilkinson, who secured all of England's points in the Wallabies clash.
"The guy is a world-class player and there is a massive aura of calm around the camp when he's around," said Monye, who attended Lord Wandsworth College at the same time as Wilkinson.
"He always gives 110 per cent and brings confidence to the team."
Experience
In terms of his own personal performance in the England squad, Monye admitted he owed much to his inclusion in the Lions tour this summer.
"It was a great experience being on the Lions tour, I got to play with some of the best players in the world," he said.
"I learnt a lot about myself on that tour both physically and emotionally."
Monye also believes he has developed as a player throughout his rollercoaster time with the Harlequins since first signing at the Stoop in 2002.
"I've been at Harlequins through their relegation and Bloodgate, so I've been there through some very testing times," said Monye.
"The boys, the coaches, everyone at Quins is very welcoming and it's a great place to be.
"I'm very much enjoying my time there."
Monye is now looking ahead to the Six Nations next year and believes the autumn international matches will be critical in driving England towards the tournament.
"The Six Nations is a great tournament and hopefully we can use these international matches to prepare for it," said Monye.
"With a bit of luck we can get some momentum and confidence from this series, get a sense of direction and use the series to launch England into the competition."
Ugo Monye will wear limited edition white and purple Nike Mercurial Superfly boots against Argentina at Twickenham on Saturday, created to celebrate the launch of the new Nike purple change kit, both available to buy at Niketown London and www.nikestore.com/rugby
