Early bath.

England silenced some of their critics last night after recording an impressive 27-10 win over Argentina in their opening game at the 2023 Rugby World Cup – despite playing almost the entire game with just 14 men on the pitch.

Just three minutes into the game England flanker Tom Curry collided with Juan Cruz Mallia while he was in the air retrieving the ball. The pair clashed heads in a nasty collision, with Curry yellow-carded by referee Matthieu Raynal, before it was upgraded to a bunker review.

The decision to red card Curry has been met largely with backlash online, with many branding it as a “rugby incident” and an “accidental collision” among other things.

Referee JP Doyle spoke on ITV yesterday to clear a few things up regarding the decision that may or may not change your mind on the red card.

“You can see this is a clear line of sight tackle where Tom Curry is upright,” Doyle said.

“And although he is wrapping, he has a clear line of sight to a vulnerable player in the air. So, remember this is about protecting players and protecting heads, and on this occasion, it’s not a malicious act but Tom Curry has got it wrong.”

Ross Tucker, who is a leading science and research consultant, and currently works for World Rugby, also did an excellent job in explaining the decision to upgrade Curry’s yellow to a red card.

We now await details on a potential ban for Curry which should be available early next week.