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 in the 75th minute, which resulted in Mallia exiting the game due to a suspected ACL knee injury, leaving Argentina with 14 players for the remainder of the match.
Although Curry’s challenge incurred a penalty, it was not reviewed by the television match official. Contepomi left his coaching position to express his discontent with the incident, leading to a brawl between the teams that escalated to the confrontation between Contepomi and Curry.
Contepomi remarked, “Curry, let me tell you, it seems to be in his nature to bully people. He approached me in the tunnel and shoved me. He is 27, strong, and I am 48.”
Regarding the incident, England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, defended Curry’s character, emphasizing his respectfulness and team spirit. Borthwick clarified that he was not present during the tunnel altercation and wished to shift the focus back to the competitive Test match between the two teams.
England secured their 11th consecutive victory by overcoming a late surge from Argentina, concluding a successful month with a flawless record.
Borthwick praised his team’s performance, describing the match as a challenging battle against a resilient Argentine side. He expressed optimism about the team’s progression and acknowledged the ongoing work required for improvement in future matches.