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England explain picking Tom Curry despite his online abuse ordeal
England boss Steve Borthwick has explained why he has picked Tom Curry to start Friday night’s bronze medal final versus Argentina despite the online abuse that he has been subjected to in recent days.
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The head coach has made eight changes to his starting XV to take on the Pumas in Paris, but he decided to keep his back-rower involved even though he will wear the No6 shirt on this occasion to accommodate the naming of Sam Underhill at openside.
Curry has shipped a load of flak since he reported being on the receiving end of alleged discriminatory language during last Saturday night’s Rugby World Cup semi-final versus South Africa.
The forward approached referee Ben O’Keeffe midway through the opening half and asked the official. “Sir, if their hooker calls me a white c***, what do I do?” O’Keeffe replied: “Nothing, please. I’ll be on it.”
The England player stayed silent in the post-game mixed zone when asked what had happened, but it emerged on Monday that World Rugby were formally reviewing the allegation in relation to the use of discriminatory language by South African hooker Bongi Mbonambi, an investigation that was still ongoing on Wednesday.
In the meantime, Curry’s club Sale released a statement backing their captain and outlining they were “absolutely appalled by the nature and level of disgusting abuse” that the player and his family have been subjected to.
It soon emerged that the controversy won’t affect Curry’s participation in the third-place playoff at Stade de France, Borthwick explaining: “His preparation this week has been the ultimate professional, like he is every single day, every week.
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“This is not a Tom Curry incident. Someone has said something that he has reported and he is getting on and preparing.
“This is a World Rugby and SA Rugby matter to deal with, not an England Rugby or Tom Curry matter. We have said what we want to say on the matter. We have got a game on Friday which Tom and all the England squad are looking forward to.
“I chatted to Tom early in the week, it was around how he is physically because the way Tom plays he has more involvements than any other player on the pitch. Everyone saw when I took him off on Saturday night, he was cut, bloodied. It’s another six-day turnaround.
“He looked straight at me and point blank said, ‘I am desperate to play on Friday night’. This is a guy who wants to play. There is no doubt in my mind. The way he has prepared himself has been incredible. That is Tom Curry. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
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Skipper Owen Farell, who will lead out a team showing three backline changes and five more in the pack, added: “Personally speaking, Tom has been first-class like he always is.
“What isn’t understandable is the amount of abuse he has got, the effect that has had, not just on him. That is the bit I and we really don’t understand. It seems to be going more and more like this but it shouldn’t be.
“He is one of the most honest and hardworking blokes I have ever played with. In terms of getting support, I hope he knows everyone close to him supports him and back him all the way. I’m sure he does. I hope the people who are close to him know he is being supported really well.
“We wanted people to know our support of Tom but it is not something that we have been talking about constantly. With Tom himself he wants to get involved in this contest on Friday, it is his 50th cap. It is an unbelievably proud week for him.
“It’s going to be the same for a couple of others as well. Ben Youngs’ last game as well. So we want to make sure this week is about doing them proud. We want to represent the shirt properly. We want to make sure we make the fans proud again.”
Farell himself has been subjected to online abuse in recent times, back in August following his red card versus Wales in a Summer Nations Series game and again following last Saturday’s one-point loss to South Africa. “We have just said our bit, there is not really too much to say. You are dealing with people, human beings.
“Just because you’re saying stuff on a computer screen or your phone doesn’t make it acceptable. It seems to be going more and more that way, but I don’t think it’s acceptable.”
Has Farrell got a solution? “I don’t think that is something for us to come up with. I think there will be people who know more about it than me. Again, everyone is different.”
Bongi Mbonambi and his fellow Springboks were in high spirits arriving at Wednesday training ahead of Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final. #Springboks #NZLvRSA #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/qq2AMJYsiS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 25, 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
guys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
1 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to comments