England begin their 2023 Rugby World Cup bid this weekend, with preparations for their campaign in France having been less than ideal.
Steve Borthwick's side were the seeded team in Pool D when the draw was made, handing them a theoretical advantage when it comes to booking a place in the knockout stages.
However, England's form has fallen away since their run to the 2019 World Cup final and a Six Nations triumph the year after under former boss Eddie Jones.
They have lost five of their past six Tests but lock Maro Itoje believes the big stage of a World Cup is just what a talented but inconsistent team needs to bring the best out of them.
"I genuinely believe that come Argentina on Saturday night, we will take a big step forward," Itoje told BBC Sport.
"There is a real sense of optimism and belief about what we can do and where we can take it."
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Who will England play next at Rugby World Cup 2023?
England open their Pool D campaign against Argentina, who promise to be their toughest Test in the round-robin phase.
The Pumas claimed a stunning 30-29 victory at Twickenham last November and are now two spots above England in the World Rugby rankings in sixth.
That is despite Argentina hitting a six-game losing slump on the back of their win in London.
Japan, Samoa and Chile are the other teams in Pool D.
England vs. Argentina date and time
England face Argentina at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Saturday, September 9.
The game will kickoff at 9 p.m local time. Here's how that translates to some of the major territories around the world.
| Kickoff time | |
| France | 9 p.m. CEST |
| USA | 3 p.m. ET |
| Canada | 3 p.m. ET |
| UK | 8 p.m. BST |
| Australia | 6 a.m. AEDT* |
| India | 12:30 a.m. IST* |
| Hong Kong | 3 a.m. HKT* |
| Malaysia | 3 a.m. MYT* |
| Singapore | 3 a.m. SGT* |
| New Zealand | 8 a.m. NZDT* |
*Sept. 10
England vs. Argentina team news
Perhaps underlining the state of flux around the team at present scrum-half Alex Mitchell and winger Jonny May both start despite missing out on the original 33-man squad.
Injuries to Jack van Poortvliet and Anthony Watson respectively gave the pair a reprieve and they have seized their changes, impressing Borthwick in training and during the concluding warmup defeat to Fiji.
Tom Curry will make his first start for England under Borthwick after recovering from an ankle injury and is joined in the back row by Courtney Lawes, who will captain in the absence of the suspended Owen Farrell.
England Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures and results
| Date | Opponent | Stage | Score | Venue | Kickoff time |
| September 9 | Argentina | Pool D | — | Stade Velodrome, Marseille | 8 p.m. (BST) |
| September 16 | Japan | Pool D | — | Stade de Nice, Nice | 8 p.m. (BST) |
| September 23 | Chile | Pool D | — | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille | 4:45 p.m.(BST) |
| October 7 | Samoa | Pool D | — | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille | 4:45 p.m.(BST) |
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