England's narrow Autumn Nations Series victory over Argentina has been overshadowed by a major controversy involving flanker Tom Curry, who stands accused of a reckless tackle and a physical altercation with Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi.
Tunnel Tussle and Injury Storm
The incident erupted in the dying moments of the match and continued after the final whistle. Argentina's full-back, Juan Cruz Mallía, was forced from the pitch in the 74th minute following a late tackle from Curry. The injury is suspected to be a serious anterior cruciate ligament problem, leaving Argentina with 14 men as all their replacements had been used.
The situation escalated dramatically in the tunnel. Felipe Contepomi, the 48-year-old Argentina coach, gave a vivid account of the confrontation. "How old is he? Twenty-seven? And strong," Contepomi said of Curry. "And I am 48 and he comes and just [shoves me]. I was standing there. He was coming in to say hi to one of our coaches, but we said no because we were upset. I said: 'Man, you broke his knee,' and he said: 'Fuck off,' and pushed me like that."
Contepomi did not hold back in his criticism, suggesting the England player's behaviour was that of a "bully." He expressed dismay that Curry showed no remorse for the tackle, which he described as "late" and "reckless."
Borthwick's Firm Defence
England head coach Steve Borthwick was swift and unequivocal in his defence of the player's character. While admitting he did not witness the tunnel incident, having already been in the changing room, Borthwick staunchly supported his man.
"I’m aware there was an incident," Borthwick stated. "I didn’t see it. But anybody who has had any contact with Tom Curry knows his character is impeccable. He is a fantastic team man, a respectful guy. His character is unquestionable."
On the pitch, Curry's challenge on Mallía was penalised by the match officials, but no further disciplinary action was taken, a point of significant frustration for the Argentine camp.
Broader Grievances and Technology Concerns
Contepomi's frustrations extended beyond the Curry incident. He voiced serious concerns about the inconsistent application of the new instrumented mouthguards (IMGs), designed to detect potential head injuries.
He revealed that fly-half Tomás Albornoz was twice removed for a Head Injury Assessment simply for clapping while wearing his gumshield. Conversely, Contepomi was angered that when Pablo Matera was withdrawn due to an alert from his IMG, the incident that caused the head contact was not reviewed by the Television Match Official (TMO) for foul play.
"Matera had to come out because it was a head contact. And it wasn’t checked," Contepomi lamented. "So, where is the technology going? The end result is 12 minutes without our player... I’m disappointed."
The post-match quarrel, which also involved England's Henry Pollock, and the broader technological disputes marred what was otherwise a hard-fought English victory, leaving a cloud over the team's autumn clean sweep.
