‘Pollock, stop, you're going to piss people off': England star reflects on Argentina tour and 'lack of respect' claims

England tighthead prop Joe Heyes has conceded that their changing room was “loud enough for me to leave,” after Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi accused them of a “lack of respect”.

The Argentina boss cut short his press conference after the Pumas lost 24-31 to Steve Borthwick’s side in Santiago del Estero in July due to the music and cheering emanating from England’s changing room.

The incident was the latest installment in what was a day, week, and year of bad blood, which stemmed from Tom Curry’s contentious late tackle at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium in November. The build-up to their latest contest was already charged by political tension, as well as Argentina’s victory over England in the football World Cup semi-finals. The match itself was farcical at times, starting with a brawl in the opening minutes, seeing seven yellow cards brandished and finishing with a disallowed Pumas try that did not go down well with the players.

Joining the For the Love of Rugby podcast recently, Heyes reflected on the week in Argentina, and did suggest that Contepomi may have had a point.

“I get quite over-stimulated in loud changing rooms, and I went to the shower and had a moment to myself because the season was over and it was loud,” Heyes said to former Leicester Tigers team-mates Ben Youngs and Dan Cole.

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“A lot of Olivia Dean and dancing, it’s a new era of changing rooms now. Dancing is OK – not in my time.

“I get quite over-stimulated in confined areas. It was loud enough for me to leave. I think at the time it was Henry Pollock [controlling the music].”

The week also began with Henry Pollock goading Argentinian fans as the team bus drove through the streets of Buenos Aires, which inevitably found its way online.

Heyes also provided his perspective on that incident, saying: “I’m in front of him and I’m like, ‘Pollock, stop, man, you’re going to piss people off,’ and he’s just kept on doing it. And then the big crowd of people, he starts doing it, and I’m like, ‘Ah, no.’ they were filming it, and I literally got to my hotel room, scrolling on TikTok, it’s just there, emoting on Fortnite.

“All these people who haven’t got a clue who we are, just a rugby team. But yeah, that made things worse.”