Creevy comments haven't unsettled England and could even backfire
Jamie George has warned Argentina that their attempts to unsettle England ahead of Saturday’s pivotal World Cup showdown in Toyko could backfire.
Pumas talisman and former captain Agustin Creevy lit the fuse for the Pool C collision by declaring Eddie Jones’ team play “boring” rugby and should be ready for a “war”.
England comfortably topped the try-scoring charts in this year’s Six Nations and have already crossed 11 times in Japan after posting emphatic wins against Tonga and the USA.
George will line-up against Creevy at Tokyo Stadium believing his opposite number is mistaken.
“I don’t think we play boring rugby. I’m not overly surprised that he’s tried to say that, but he’s entitled to his opinion and hopefully we’ll prove him wrong on Saturday,” George said.
“In my opinion I don’t think it’s very justified. I’m sure he’s just trying to rattle us a bit. He’s more than welcome to try.”
Boring is an accusation that has been frequently levelled at Saracens, the Gallagher Premiership’s most successful club of the last decade, but their Lions hooker George said: “It’s trophies in the bag. We are used to it!”
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Creevy will become Argentina’s most capped player when he makes an 88th Test appearance on Saturday and is regarded by England as the Pumas’ “spiritual” leader, a gnarled veteran who carries the fight to opponents.
The 34-year-old is well versed in English rugby after spending two seasons at Worcester until leaving in 2016 to join Buenos Aires-based Super Rugby franchise the Jaguares.
While he added that he loved his time in England to the point he would eventually like to move there with his wife, also holding the nation’s rugby team in great affection, he has placed pleasantries on hold as Saturday approaches.
Red Rose attack coach Scott Wisemantel uses statistics to dispute his outlook.
“Creevy might just have been at a boring club in England, I don’t really know!” Wisemantel said.
“I don’t think that (England are boring) and he obviously hasn’t been watching much of the Premiership as there are some excellent teams with so many different styles.
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“And it’s a bit like me making a judgement call on the Jaguares – they are very different.”
When asked to describe England’s style of play, Wisemantel said: “It’s varied and can be very structured at times, but you have to remember in this tournament a third of our tries have come from unstructured play. I don’t necessarily agree with Creevy.”
Argentina will field a rugged pack who will present a stiff challenge up-front, but openside Sam Underhill insists England have nothing to fear.
“Depends if you look at an arm wrestle as a bad thing. Obviously their maul and their scrum is a massive part of their game, but it’s the same for us,” Underhill said.
“It’s a massively important part of the game now. The best teams have the best set piece.
“For us it’s a threat to nullify, but it’s also an opportunity to impose ourselves on the game.
“That would probably fall under the category of boring rugby but it’s an area we’re pretty excited about. There are no points for style.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
97 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
2 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
2 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
97 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
97 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
97 Go to comments