Argentina’s head coach Felipe Contepomi has hit out at England flanker Tom Curry after a fiery confrontation in the tunnel following England’s 27–23 win at Twickenham. The narrow defeat was Argentina’s fourth and final Test of the Quilter Nations Series, but the post-match incident quickly became the main talking point.
Contepomi accused Curry of behaving like a “bully” and claimed the England forward struck him as emotions ran high after the full-time whistle.
“He came down the tunnel and gave me a little smack,” Contepomi said. “I’m 48 years old, he’s 27. Maybe it’s just his nature, I don’t know. But these are the kind of players we are rewarding in the game.”
England had dominated the first half and led 17–3 thanks to tries from Max Ojomoh and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. But Argentina roared back after the break, with Justo Piccardo and Rodrigo Isgro crossing to set up a tense finish. Despite the strong fightback, the Pumas fell just short.
The tension reportedly escalated when Argentina full-back Juan Cruz Mallia was injured late in the match after a collision involving Curry. According to Contepomi, that moment triggered the heated exchange in the tunnel.
“I told him, ‘You broke our player’s knee,’” Contepomi explained. “Instead of showing any humility or respect, he told me to ‘f*** off’ and pushed me. If we want bullies in this game, then good for them. But that’s not what rugby is supposed to be.”
The Argentina camp now expect the footage from the tunnel to be reviewed, claiming cameras captured the entire incident.
As both nations shift their focus towards the upcoming international calendar, Contepomi insists the confrontation highlights a bigger issue around player conduct and respect in modern rugby.
Whether disciplinary action follows will depend on the video evidence — and on how seriously officials view the incident.
Stay tuned to WeTalkRugby for updates, reactions, and full analysis from the Quilter Nations Series.
