The temperature rose the day after England–Argentina. Felipe Contepomi, the Pumas head coach, condemned Tom Curry’s attitude on Monday, holding him responsible for the tackle that led to the serious knee injury suffered by his full-back Juan Cruz Mallía late in the game. The incident, which happened in the closing minutes, forced the Argentina player off immediately and left his staff furious.

“When you cause an injury as serious as that, the least you can do is apologise“, Contepomi said, lamenting what he saw as a complete lack of empathy from the England back-rower. The Argentina coach also claims to have been confronted by Curry in the tunnel after the final whistle. According to his account, the international shoved and insulted him, even accusing him of being a “bully“.

Those accusations drew a reaction from the England camp. The England management quickly came to Curry’s defence, describing a player whose conduct was “beyond reproach” and disputing any form of verbal or physical aggression. As far as England are concerned, the incident is a misunderstanding fuelled by the tension of a match contested right to the end.

The Argentine federation has nevertheless requested that a disciplinary review be opened into the tunnel episode. The first medical assessments of Mallía suggest fears of a long spell on the sidelines, adding further to the Pumas’ bitterness. Contepomi, for his part, is standing by his comments and calling for “more respect” between players and staff, particularly at the highest international level.