BBC Sport rugby union news reporter

Quilter Nations Series: England v Argentina

Coverage: Live on BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Sports Extra with live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app

From the shadow of the Andes to the shadow of the Allianz Stadium is a journey of about 7,000 miles.

And last autumn, Rodrigo Isgro was feeling every one of them.

Sporting a conquistador moustache and thighs as thick as a gaucho's steak, the culture shock was severe when the Argentina wing arrived at Harlequins.

It wasn't just a new country, a new club and a new language, but also a new game.

"For the past five years I had played sevens and I arrived in England with just a couple of games of 15s," recalls Isgro.

The 26-year-old was a short-format star - the Olympic rings tattooed on the inside of his right bicep are a memento of a bronze-medal winning campaign in Tokyo. In 2023, he was named as the world's best sevens player.

Isgro could have stayed in that game and enjoyed a globe-trotting circuit with a familiar network of team-mates.

But, after being recruited into the Pumas' 15-a-side squad by then-Argentina coach Michael Cheika for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Isgro took the plunge fully by signing for Quins in the following year.

London had been the destination for Isgro's first ever overseas trip, an appearance at the glitzy, if short-lived, Rugby X event at the O2 Arena in 2019.

Getting used to day-to-day life in his new hometown of Guildford was hard though. But it would have been even harder without his team-mates - and one in particular.

"Marcus [Smith] is a very good friend," adds Mendoza-born Isgro.

"He was really good when I arrived in England. He gave up a lot of time for me, as well as patience and understanding.

"My English was not very good - I didn't speak it. He is a really good friend, he drinks 'mate' with me every day."

As well as the traditional South American herbal drink - a favourite of Argentina footballing legend Lionel Messi - England fly-half Smith would share lifts into training with Isgro.

They linked well together on the pitch too. A quarter of an hour into Isgro's debut against Bath, Smith cut blind, chipped across field and the winger claimed the ball over the head of his opposite number for a try.

Isgro scored another before half-time and has been something of a cult hero at the Stoop ever since, extending his contract in January.

"It was hard because the language is different but I grew up a lot, both with my personality and in the game," he says.

"It was a really good challenge and now I feel really good. I was scared before, and now I am happy that I feel comfortable here."

On Sunday, he and Smith will be on the opposite side of the road from the Stoop and on opposing sides when England and Argentina meet at Allianz Stadium in the final match of their autumn campaigns.

And Isgro is at the head of a pack of Prem Pumas hunting the hosts.

Juan Martin Gonzalez is at Saracens, Santiago Carreras at Bath, Simon Benitez Cruz recently installed at Newcastle, while Pedro Rubiolo and Santiago Grondona are at Bristol. Guido Petti, Pedro Delgado and Boris Wenger have all joined Isgro at Quins this season.

"We are always getting to together," says Isgro. "One or two times a week.

"[Former London Irish hooker] Agustin Creevy lives in Kingston and we meet at his home for a barbeque. Juan Gonzalez and [currently injured Saracens team-mate] Lucio Cinti live in the north. The Argentina players at Quins live in the south, in Guildford, and we meet at Creevy's house."

There have been plenty of memories to chew over, along with the meat.

The Pumas beat England when the teams last met at Twickenham in 2022 and since then have beaten South Africa, New Zealand, France and Australia, along with spoiling the British and Irish Lions' opening night party in Dublin in the summer with a 28-24 victory.

Does Isgro believe Argentina - ranked sixth in the world - are being underestimated by an English public that has seen their team rack up 10 straight wins and beat the All Blacks on their last outing?

He pauses before answering - and it might not be the language barrier this time.

"Our focus is on the game, and improving it," he says.

"The results will come if we play well, and do the things we're working on in the week.

"I don't know if people underestimate us, but our focus is just on our game.

"England have a really good team, but also we are really good too."