England rugby players have been told not to wear clothing bearing the national team badge while in Argentina, as security concerns are raised ahead of the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina football teams. The rugby squad is currently in Argentina preparing for their own match against the Pumas on Saturday.
Security Measures and Schedule Changes
According to The Telegraph, England rugby head coach Steve Borthwick has altered the players' training schedule to allow them to watch Wednesday's football semi-final from their team hotel. However, wearing England colours in public is considered a step too far, though security concerns are not severe enough to warrant additional protection.
England lock Alex Coles explained the reasoning: "I think, bearing in mind where we are and who we're playing with, we've been pretty sensible about not wearing our English shirts around too much. We had them all out in Liverpool and got a bit of a better reception than we might do here."
Football Context: England vs Argentina
England and Argentina have not met on the football pitch in more than 20 years. Their last competitive meeting was at the 2002 World Cup, decided by a David Beckham penalty, while a 2005 friendly saw Michael Owen score a late winner. The two nations have faced off more recently in rugby, with England winning both matches at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni played down the Falklands backdrop ahead of the semi-final. "The reality is that this is a football match. I can't mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago," he said. "It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn't much we can do about it, that's the reality. It is a football match. There's no getting around that."
Coles Praises Tuchel's Impact
Coles also reflected on his past meeting with England football manager Thomas Tuchel. "He's a pragmatist, but he's also very good at motivating his players," the 26-year-old added. "And I think you see how hard everyone works, and he's picked players that want to work for the team. I mean, very impressed. Like Elliot Anderson just works his socks off the whole game. Declan Rice through injuries and illness, puts himself about."
Coles continued: "I think there's so much to be admired in that as a trait. And as an Englishman, you want to think that's something that's part of our national psyche, that sort of hard work, that determination, and then obviously the quality of [Jude] Bellingham and [Harry] Kane has just been there to top off, and [Bukayo] Saka as well, as an Arsenal fan, I shout him out."
