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The first public England reaction to the Tom Curry suspension
England have given their first public reaction to the three-game ban – reducible to two via tackle school – handed down on Tuesday evening to Tom Curry.
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The red-carded openside was sent from the Stade Velodrome field just three minutes into last Saturday’s Rugby World Cup win over Argentina for his head-on-head contact with Juan Cruz Mallia and he will now sit out the upcoming matches against Japan in Nice this Sunday and versus Chile in Lille on September 23.
The red card was the fourth brandished to an England player in the past six matches, but defence coach Kevin Sinfield was adamant that Steve Borthwick’s squad does not have a discipline problem. He even referenced the concession of just seven penalties versus the Pumas in last weekend’s 27-10 win as evidence.
“It’s important for us we move on pretty quickly. Some things we can’t control and for us and for Tom in particular we need to look forward. Like I said, control the controllables. We move on,” he said at base camp in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage on Wednesday afternoon when initially questioned on the Curry suspension.
“Discipline-wise, we gave something like seven penalties away at the weekend – I don’t think we have got a disciplinary problem. I thought it was really unfortunate what happened at the weekend. It was different to the other challenges that have taken place.
How Manu Tuilagi limbers up before starting England Rugby World Cup training in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage #EnglandRugby #RWC2023 #ENGvJPN pic.twitter.com/bsABp5bX5J
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“We will continue to work on our tackle skill and work incredibly hard. The guys have really bought in and have done for some time, but they are human and they make mistakes. We have got to understand that it is part of the sport now.
“Unfortunately we have had to deal with four (reds) in six (matches), not just three in four. We are getting pretty good at defending with 14 men but we want to have our full complement on the field for as long as possible at all times. We hope to improve that area but it is tricky to pinpoint exactly what that is.
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“Like I said, we want to move on now. There has been a fair bit of noise around this group around the red cards, some of it we understand, but we just feel we need to move forward and control what we can.”
Asked if he had anything to say on why Curry was sanctioned with suspension while other head contact incidents in the Chile-Japan and South Africa-Scotland games only merited a yellow card and play on respectively, Sinfield replied: “I love the question but again, we are moving on.
“I understand it; I understand you want a comment from me but we just feel the right thing is to get on with our jobs. We can’t control any of that [the other incidents].
“We’ll spend time with Tom and put him through tackle school. We will be working incredibly hard with him again and we will get him right for a couple of weeks’ time.”
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Could Sinfield describe, though, the effect the current head contact issue is generally having on the England squad? “It makes life really difficult for the players first and foremost and that is what we are all here for. We all want to see the players on the field, we want to see the best players in the world go head to head – pardon the pun – but we have just got to be careful.
“Again, we control what we can control. We are in full support of the rules and regulations. We try and train as hard as we can but within the laws of the game and we will continue to do that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Paul Quinn was a National MP.
5 Go to commentsNo need to worry about losers’ mentality hysteria from Australia. Finau has all the attributes, I don't recall a high or no arms tackle from him, and his timing has been controlled very well since the round 3 Lynagh tackle. It's an easy decision for Razor, the only question is who should back him up from the bench. He can't be overworked like Squire was in his first full season.
16 Go to comments“Reds coach Les Kiss saying later: “I think every player has the right to feel safe.” Maybe Rugby is the wrong sport for people who want to feel safe..?
16 Go to commentsNot sure what the context was, but the highlights showed one scrum against Aussie where the baby Blacks were going backwards at a pace. The pack has been the issue since 2017, so they might be in for another reality check soon. This tournament should really have been two rounds, would have learned a lot more.
1 Go to commentsPeter Lakai has a ‘lot of size’? Since when? To Kirifi maybe. I think Laidlaw clearly saw he’s too small for 6 or 8, so plonked him at 7. Has potential to be Ardies understudy in black for 7.
5 Go to commentsDalton for skipper?
13 Go to commentsOh he's ‘Irish qualified’ isn't that convenient. If Ireland get any more Kiwis (and Aussie) in their backline they might need to run out in green and black kit soon. How is the supposed best rugby system in the world in need of trawling for journeyman Kiwi players?
2 Go to commentsCallum Grace is playing well now that he's finally back in his best position. But given it was Razor who somehow thought Grace was dynamic enough to be a No8 when he's clearly not, Im not sure he’d backtrack on that. Finau is risky with his style, and there's almost no point picking Blackadder when he can’t stay on the field more than five minutes.
16 Go to commentsThe team on paper has more supposed ‘stars’ than a lot of the sides they’re losing to. They’ve got the Razor-blues and aren't playing for Penney. He should jump before he's pushed.
1 Go to commentsProof. That if you lay dramatic instrumental hip hop music over a video of a skinny pale white kid running an unopposed zig zag on a training ground filled with rookies - it’ll look next-level epic!
12 Go to commentsIf they win the challenge Cup then it will have all been worth it. If they don’t, then maybe he should go. Lots of ppl seem to think very highly of him as a coach, but maybe he would be better working under someone. Any top sides looking for forwards coaches rn?
1 Go to commentsJason Ryan knows his craft as forwards coach and I'm sure he’ll hold sway with Scott Robertson of who he feels worthy of selection…his credentials validated when he put a 7xcaps between them front row...Ethan, Samisoni and Lomax on Ellis Park…Go the AB's…
16 Go to commentsFascinating. I’m optimistic about a team coached by Schmiddy, Cron and Parling
14 Go to commentsI think if Blackadder is fit, he has to be in the team. If he isn’t, Finau would be good, and I always thought Akira deserved more of a crack at it. I think he looked better than ppl gave him credit.
16 Go to commentsThanks again Nick and interesting comments from Parling about his lineout preferences. Bearing in mind what Schmidt has said about prioritising Oz based players initially we may not see Skeleton until the EOY trip to Ireland and the UK. To me that suggests that Cale has to be ready by then. In the meantime we get 3 jumpers by having 2 jumping locks and a Wright/Swinton/Holloway/Leota type of guy at 6. I think that he (Parling) would do well to coach Valentini and Wilson to jump more. Surely they could learn more about this?
14 Go to commentsdo what the ABs normally do and cruise around the South Pacific to cherry-pick the contenders
16 Go to commentsGood read, GP comes across as a very knowledgeable guy and pretty decent human to boot! Genuinely leaves me wondering though, how Australia’s second city could be in with a serious possibility of being left without a pro team. Just how does that get to happen? Credit to the team though, they’re performing pretty well under some horrible circumstances and pressure on their livelihoods. Whoever made the call to boot out DR, his staff and the structure/connections/succession plans he had put in place in unbelievably short order needs strung up by their most sensitive body parts. Thought that at the time and of course, events unfolded even worse than feared!
14 Go to commentsCan’t see an appetite to pick Brad Shields for obvious reasons, but Devan Flanders has got to be in with a shout.
16 Go to commentsThe rise of Hunter Paisami! Good read Nick (as ever). Cheers.
14 Go to commentsAs a long term glos supporter saturday was the last straw. Terrible run of results in league since Jan 23. No excuses , there are 3 conclusions Players simply arent good enough. Coaching team not good enough. Or combination of the 2. Either way glos lost pride in what used to be a team others feared.
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