Rugby World Cup 2019: England hit back at Agustin Creevy after Argentina talisman labels them ‘boring’

Former Pumas captain predicts a ‘war’ this Saturday with their Rugby World Cup hopes on the line, and believes England’s ‘boring’ style will play into the hands of his side

England have hit back at Argentina hooker Agustin Creevy after the talismanic Puma accused them of relying on a “boring” style ahead of their Rugby World Cup “war” this weekend.

Argentina will likely suffer early elimination from the World Cup if they lose to England on Saturday which has lead to their approach to Saturday’s match being a final for their World Cup hopes, with Creevy looking to stoke up the flames of an historic sporting rivalry.

The Pumas have made no secret of their desire to feed off their passion in an effort to end their nine-Test losing streak against England, and Creevy – who spent two seasons with Worcester Warriors in the lead up to the last World Cup – believes that the stereotypical English approach that Eddie Jones has installed will play into their hands in what he expects to be a ferocious battle in Tokyo.

“They are really structured,” said Creevy. “They always play the same way in history. They kick, they do some play in the middle. They are really structured and that for me is really good. I improved a lot [during by time in England].

“I think sometimes it’s boring but it’s good for England, and it works. Next Saturday is going to be like a war, it’s like a final for us. Maybe my play in Worcester helped to see the way it will come on Saturday.”

However, the comments provoked a stern response from the England camp, with Jamie George – the man set to go up against Creevy this weekend – claiming that any mind games will not work.

“I don’t think we play boring rugby,” George said. “I’m not overly surprised that he’s tried to say that, but he’s entitled to his opinion and hopefully we prove him wrong on Saturday.

“We are used to it. In my opinion I don’t think it’s very justified. I’m sure he’s just trying to rattle us a bit. He’s more than welcome to try.”

Attack coach Scott Wisemantel concurred with George, and having overseen England’s improvement with the ball in hand since their 2018 barren run, the Australian fired off a few shots of his own.

“He might just have been at a boring club, I don’t really know,” said Wisemantel. “I don’t think that is the case and he obviously hasn’t been watching much of the Premiership. There are some excellent teams in the Premiership with so many different styles. And it is a bit like me making a judgement call on the Jaguares they are very different.

“It’s varied and can be very structured at times but you have to remember in this tournament a third of our tries have come from unstructured play. I don’t necessarily agree (with Creevy).”

The 34-year-old Creevy remains a pivotal and inspirational figure in the Argentina set-up, despite losing the captaincy when Mario Ledesma was brought in from Australia to resurrect the side after their post-2015 World Cup slump under predecessor Daniel Hourcade.

Agustin Creevy has predicted a a 'war' with England when they face Argentina on Saturday (AFP/Getty)

One particular concern for Argentina was the fact that their scrum – forever considered one of the strongest in the game – had become something of a weakness in the Rugby Championship. But by installing Ledesma in charge and learning from the errors of their ways this summer, the pack looks to be heading back towards rediscovering that set-piece dominance.

It is also an area of strength for England, which should ensure Saturday’s encounter produces fireworks up front as both packs look to dominate the opponent.

“It’s going to be really hard with the forwards. The scrum, the maul, the lineout, it’s going to be good,” Creevy added. “I think the battle with the forwards will be the game. We need to win the scrum, win the lineout, win the maul, win the contact, the breakdown.

“We trained a lot. Our skills in the scrums and the mentality, we worked a lot in that. I think we are improving a lot in the scrum and we feel good, but we need to continue. The England scrum is really good.

“When we put on this shirt we feel something different. It’s our country, our family, my club. We play together, the group is really bonded. That is different to different teams. We love each other, and I think that is different to other teams. We are friends, we are brothers, inside and outside the field.”

Creevy is set to return to the starting line-up after watching deputy Julian Montoya score a 26-minute hat-trick against Tonga last weekend, and should he do so, he will become the most-capped rugby player in Argentinian history, overtaking the current record that he shares with former Leinster out-half Felipe Contepomi.

He said: “I’m really proud. I can’t explain with words, and in English it’s really difficult. I’m really proud to get 88 games with this shirt. I never imagined that, it’s a dream for me.

“I think about my club, family, a lot of things I did and that was hard. Now I think about it and say it was really great.”