Argentina’s head coach, Felipe Contepomi, characterized Tom Curry as a “bully” and alleged that the England flanker pushed him during a heated confrontation in the tunnel following Sunday’s 27-23 loss at Allianz Stadium.
The Pumas were angered by Curry’s tackle on Juan Cruz Mallia, which led to Mallia exiting the field with a suspected ACL knee injury, leaving Argentina with 14 players for the remainder of the match.
Contepomi expressed his displeasure with the challenge, which resulted in a penalty but was not reviewed by the television match official. A scuffle broke out between the teams at the final whistle, culminating in the altercation between Contepomi and Curry in the tunnel.
“Curry, in my opinion, has a tendency to intimidate others. He approached me in the tunnel and pushed me,” Contepomi stated, highlighting the age and physical difference between them.
Following the incident, Contepomi confronted Curry about Mallia’s injury, to which Curry responded with profanity and a push. Contepomi emphasized the lack of apology from Curry, suggesting that such behavior could be detrimental in the sport of rugby.
England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, defended Curry’s character, praising him as a team player with a respectful demeanor. Borthwick stated he was unaware of the specifics of the tunnel incident but refrained from further comment, focusing on the competitive nature of the match.
England secured their 11th consecutive victory by defeating Argentina, capping off a successful month of matches. Borthwick commended the team’s performance in a challenging Test match and expressed optimism about the team’s progression and potential for future improvement.