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Myler: England Saints seeking good performance to dedicate to Barwell

Travis PerkinsSponsored by Travis Perkins

The fly half will begin the second test on the replacements' bench along with three club-mates - Ben Foden, Paul Doran Jones and Courtney Lawes - with Lee Dickson and captain Tom Wood both lining up in the starting 15.

Should all six Saints get onto the field it will represent a club record, and Myler says that if they could help England achieve a first ever whitewash over the Pumas on home soil it would be a suitable tribute to the Saints' former chairman.

"All the Saints lads were very saddened to hear about Leon, who was such a massive part of the club," he said. "Of course we all have people to play for - friends, family, coaches - but hopefully all of us from Franklin's Gardens will put in a good performance which we can dedicate to Leon and the Barwell family."

Although he has played regularly for the England Saxons and started the recent match against the Sudamerica XV, this weekend's game is the closest that Myler has come to a first senior cap, and the 28-year-old is looking forward to the experience.

"It's a feeling of excitement about the anticipation of being involved in a squad for the first time," he commented. "It's a huge honour personally, and I'm hoping that on Saturday I can do everything I can to contribute, given the opportunity, to the team effort, and what we're aiming for, which is another win. Hopefully we can come away with a series victory, which hasn't been done down here for a very long time.

"We started pretty well in Salta last week and put in a good performance in the first half. They'll be hurting from that, we know that, and will definitely want a reaction.

"There's going to be a bigger crowd and it's going to be a step up from last week. So we need to raise the bar of our own performance as well. We feel we can do that; by no means was it a complete performance last Saturday.

"Argentina is a quality side, there's going to be a boisterous crowd, but it's something we're looking forward to."

With Dickson starting the game, there is the potential for Saints to be providing the first pair of England half-backs since Paul Grayson and Matt Dawson teamed up for the 2004 Six Nations game against Ireland.

"I've played with Lee for quite a while now and am pretty familiar with him, as he is with me," Myler commented. "Whether that's getting on to play with Lee or with Richard Wigglesworth I don't matter; I'm pretty comfortable with both of them. As I say, I'm massively excited about the game and will be itching to get on the pitch if Stuart gives me the nod."

With a win over Argentina already under their belt, together with earlier wins over the Barbarians and the Sudamerica XV, this summer has already been a success for a young England squad, something which Myler says bodes well for the future.

"It's a very talented group with a lot of younger guys in it," he said. "They may be less experienced, but they've all been playing well in the Premiership for the majority of the season and have been pushing hard for their opportunity. You can feel the excitement in training and the energy levels have shown that. We know that Stuart will give us an opportunity if we're playing well enough, irrespective of age or how many caps you've got, and that is something which drives you on as a player."

England's final game of the season against Argentina is being shown live on BBC2, with coverage starting at 8pm.

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