England’s triumphant autumn rugby campaign ended under a cloud after their victory over Argentina at Twickenham descended into a heated confrontation in the players’ tunnel, with flanker Tom Curry accused of being a “bully” and allegedly telling Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi to “f*** off”.
Steve Borthwick’s side secured a 27-23 win which completed an 11-match unbeaten run and delivered their first clean sweep of November fixtures in eight years.
Yet the on-field success was overshadowed by anger from Argentina, whose players and staff reacted furiously to a late tackle by Curry on full-back Juan Cruz Mallia.
The challenge forced Mallia off with what has been described as a suspected serious knee injury, leaving Argentina to finish the match with 14 men.
Contepomi, Argentina’s coach and a former international fly-half, was visibly incensed after the final whistle.
He stated that the tackle was “reckless” and accused Curry of a lack of respect both during the match and afterwards.
“It is probably part of his nature to bully people,” Contepomi said, claiming that Curry confronted him in the tunnel after the match. “He came down the tunnel and gave me a push on the chest.
Juan Cruz Mallia sustained a serious injury after being injured by Tom Curry during Argentina's defeat to England at Twickenham
|GETTY
"He said ‘F*** off’ and pushed me. I’m not happy with the situation.
"After breaking someone’s knee, you need to be humble enough to say sorry, you did something wrong. But he went the opposite way.”
Argentina, despite being a man down, mounted an impressive late surge that came close to snatching a dramatic victory.
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Match officials were reportedly made aware of the incident, and disciplinary action remains a possibility for those involved.
Curry could now face a ban depending on the findings of any review into both the tackle and the exchange with Contepomi.
The most polished individual performance for England came from centre Max Ojomoh, whose incisive running and defensive strength provided a focal point for Borthwick’s side against a determined and physical Argentina.
Yet even the young centre’s standout display could not divert attention from the controversy surrounding Curry and the allegations that now threaten to overshadow England’s unbeaten run.
Contepomi reiterated his frustration after the match, insisting that the Argentine staff had the right to react.
Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi was left furious following his side's defeat to England
|PA
“He (Curry) went to say hi to one of our coaches. I was like: ‘No.’ We were upset. He was reckless and he broke our player,” he stated.
His comments underline growing tensions between the two camps and raise questions over the treatment of injured players and standards of conduct expected from international teams.
Borthwick, however, robustly defended the 27-year-old Sale Sharks flanker, praising Curry’s behaviour away from the field.
The England head coach emphasised that he had not witnessed the fracas but rejected any suggestion that Curry lacked integrity.
“Clearly I’m aware there was an incident,” said Borthwick.
“I didn’t see it. I was in the changing room at the time. Anybody in this room who has had any contact with Tom Curry knows that as a character of a man. His character is impeccable.”