Ex-All Black accuses Ireland's Jack Crowley of 'disgusting' act in Argentina win

Former All Blacks scrumhalf Steve Devine has accused an Ireland player of ‘disgusting’ behaviour in their win over Argentina on Friday night.

Ireland were unconvincing 22-19 victors over Felipe Contepomi’s Los Pumas at the Aviva Stadium, as Andy Farrell’s team continue to face up to a potential crisis of confidence.

Indeed it was a rocky start for the men in green when Argentinian centre Matias Moroni intercepted a pass to race through for an apparent 5-pointer, only for the referee to call back the action to head contact on Ireland’s Jack Crowley back in Argentina’s 22.

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The try was scrubbed off and Moroni was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.

SENZ radio pundit Steve Devine and 10-cap All Black was not happy and has made a serious accusation against Crowley and the wider Ireland team in general.

“I used to be a great fan of the Irish. I used to love how they played rugby and now I think it’s all been brought undone by negative rugby in terms of Jack Crowley. [He] Gets a little touch on the head, and you there’s been a lot of hard men that have played rugby very hard over the years for Ireland, I think it’s all been undone by this soccer mentality. You get hit in the head and you go done like you’re injured and it cost Argentina.

“I think if we’re upset with the match officials out of the French game, then if you are an Argentinian fan I think you’d swear never to watch rugby again because of the adjudication of that game.

“Argentina score a great try after five minutes and it gets brought back to the other end of the field because Jack Crowley got a finger laid on his head and he fell over screaming. It was barely a touch. There was then a penalty in the corner and they took the penalty and scored a try.

“It was basically a 14-point turnaround. And Crowley doesn’t have to go with a suspected head injury even though he fell to the ground, rolling around in pain, holding his head.”

Devine also said that it’s a behaviour of the Irish team in general, not just Crowley.

“That’s disgusting. I don’t watch soccer because we have grown men rolling around on the ground when they’re injured. I don’t want to see it and like, you know, if that’s what Ireland have got to resort to win matches then I don’t want nothing to do with them, I’ve had enough of them.

“It’s unacceptable. It should be called out by the players, it should be called out by the fans, it’s unacceptable. I don’t [sic] agree when Nic White done it a few years ago against South Africa, I don’t agree now.

“This is a hard game, if you’re not hard enough to play like a man then remove yourself from it and go and play touch or something. It grates me, I’ve had enough of it and I don’t want to see it. I hope, because of that, if Ireland keep doing it, because they have been doing, that there’s a massive fall from grace for them.”