- Yellow card upgraded after bunker review
- 3rd red card in four games for England
- Ford kicks England to win but potential loss of Curry a blow
England’s Tom Curry is set to face a disciplinary committee on Tuesday in the wake of his red card incident during the Rugby World Cup clash against Argentina.
The incident occurred in the 11th minute of the match, which England ultimately won 27-10 in their tournament opener. The flanker was sent off following a challenge on Argentina’s Juan Cruz Mallia that led to a collision of heads.
Initially, Curry received a yellow card, but it was subsequently upgraded to a red card after review by the new ‘bunker’ system.
A statement from World Rugby on Sunday read: “Tom Curry will appear before an independent judicial committee in Paris having received a red card for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle).
“At the player’s request, the hearing will take place on Tuesday evening, 12 September.”
England show resilience
Curry became England’s third player to be sent off in four matches following Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola. He will be likely to face another suspension.
However, there were positives for Steve Borthwick to take from the game. After so much has gone wrong in the build up, England showed incredible resilience once Curry’s dismissal saw them down to 14.
George Ford kicked all of England’s points – six penalties and three drop-goals, and England defended well and kept the game tight. Though it can be argued that they were helped by Argentina giving so many penalties away.
Betting Implications
Curry’s return to the starting line-up after injury was seen as a massive boost for England, therefore, despite the morale boosting win, his likely absence through suspension will be a blow. Bettors need to analyse the impact this will have.
Captain Owen Farrell is due to return, however, some pundits have argued that Farrell’s absence allowed Ford to step up and control the game. It remains to be seen whether he can be so influential alongside Farrell and punters need to look at the effect this could have on England’s performances.
What cannot be ignored is the amount of red cards England have been racking up. This is another factor to take into account.
Punters looking to bet on England in the later stages of the tournament need to monitor their performances over the remainder of the Pool Stage. At the time of writing, bet365 have England as 10/1 fifth favourites to win the tournament. They have hosts France as 3/1 favourites, ahead of New Zealand, 4/1, after their impressive Pool Stage win over the All Blacks. In-form South Africa are 11/4 and Ireland are 5/1. Prices are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
