Argentina’s head coach, Felipe Contepomi, has labeled Tom Curry as a “bully” and accused the England flanker of pushing him during a heated altercation in the tunnel following Sunday’s 27-23 defeat at Allianz Stadium.
The Pumas were angered by Curry’s tackle on Juan Cruz Mallia in the 75th minute, which led to Mallia leaving the field with a suspected ACL knee injury and left Argentina playing with only 14 men for the remainder of the match.
Despite Curry’s challenge resulting in a penalty, it was not reviewed by the television match official. Contepomi vented his frustration at the tackle, and after the final whistle, a brawl erupted between the teams, culminating in the confrontation between Contepomi and Curry.
Contepomi criticized Curry’s behavior, stating, “Curry, let me say, it is probably part of his nature to bully people. He came into the tunnel and he gave me a little smack. He is 27, strong. I am 48.” Contepomi further expressed disappointment in Curry’s lack of remorse for the injury caused to Mallia.
England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, defended Curry’s character, emphasizing his respectfulness and team spirit. Borthwick, while acknowledging an incident in the tunnel, asserted that he did not witness it and did not want the altercation to overshadow the competitive Test match.
England secured their 11th victory with a clean sweep of wins this month, holding off a late Argentina resurgence. Borthwick praised the team’s performance, highlighting the resilience shown against a competitive Argentina side and expressing optimism about the team’s ongoing development.