Former All Black has ‘had enough’ of Ireland after ‘disgusting’ and ‘unacceptable’ behaviour
Jack Crowley getting hit high by Matias Moroni and then scoring a try for Ireland a minute later.
Ex-All Black Steve Devine has slammed Ireland and accused fly-half Jack Crowley of gamesmanship during their victory over Argentina.
The former scrum-half was angry with Andy Farrell’s side after Los Pumas had a try disallowed early on due to a high shot on the playmaker.
Crowley went down clutching his head after a tackle from Matias Moroni before the visiting centre touched down for the South Americans following good work from Bautista Delguy.
TMO intervention
However, after a review from the television match official, it was ruled out and Moroni was yellow carded, giving Ireland an attacking platform in the Argentinian 22.
The Ireland fly-half, who was surprisingly not given a head injury assessment, then rubbed salt into the wounds by scoring the first try just a minute later.
“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,” Devine said on SENZ.
“[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 down 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 off with a suspected head injury even though he fell to the ground, rolling around in pain, holding his head.”
It proved to be a crucial moment in the contest as the Irishmen ended up claiming a narrow 22-19 victory over Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday.
‘Want nothing to do with them’
“That’s disgusting. I don’t watch soccer because we have grown men rolling around on the ground when they’re injured,” the ex-All Black added.
“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 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 didn’t agree when Nic White did 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.”
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