Maro Itoje urges England to learn from past mistakes against Argentina

Maro Itoje has led England through most of that streak, missing only the summer tour of the Americas because of his British & Irish Lions duties, of which he was also captain. Under his captaincy, England have not only picked up results but also built impressive squad depth.

That depth is clear this week. Despite Steve Borthwick having to field a heavily rotated team due to injuries, the 23 he has named still looks strong—certainly not weaker on paper than the side that beat the All Blacks last weekend.

Reflecting on the year and the chance to finish it on a high before the 2026 Six Nations, Itoje said he’s focused solely on what’s next. "Yeah, no doubt it will be [satisfying]. However, I guess my mindset is I'm not really thinking about it as holistically [as that] yet.

"I'm thinking about what is right in front of me and just winning and putting in a good performance against Argentina, which we will need to do and which we will have to do to get the result."

Argentina arrive with a squad packed with familiar faces, including 10 Premiership players and several established stars. They’re also in good form after beating Wales and Scotland, and Itoje knows exactly how dangerous they can be after starting in the 2022 defeat suffered at the hands of Los Pumas at Twickenham—the last time the two sides met in London.

"This is a team that has hurt us before, this is a team that has beaten us, and we know a lot of their players. I think there's probably more Argentinians playing in the Premiership now. We play a lot against a lot of their guys in France, so we're well aware of the threats that they bring.

"I guess that hopefully the growth of this team is, we learn from previous experiences and we can move positively forward."

Many supporters will remember England’s 39–10 win over Argentina in the 2019 World Cup round of 16, a match highlighted by standout displays from Sam Underhill and Tom Curry. Both are involved again this weekend—Underhill starting, Curry on the bench—and Itoje praised what they bring.

"They are two fantastic rugby players, probably two of the best tacklers I’ve ever played with both in terms of technique and aggression. And two very different personalities as well. The way they have helped the younger guys, Guy [Pepper], Henry Pollock and some of the other guys and the impact they continue to have on the game is astonishing.

"Underhill is almost like an orc waiting to smash someone, then the impact that Tom has had this series and that I hope he continues to have in this game has been second to none," he said.

Curry's role has been different this autumn, as he has gone from being a Test starter for the British & Irish Lions tour this summer, to playing second fiddle to Underhill for the benefit of the team. The England captain acknowledged how Curry's role has changed recently and the benefits that having both players available at openside has brought.

"He’s come off the bench and increased the intensity of everything we’re doing and he’s pushing and demanding the team moves positively forward. They’re two guys who still have loads and loads of rugby left in them, they’re still relatively young men, and we’re going to need them to be at their best for sure."