England legend Joe Marler makes his feeling clear on 'bully' Tom Curry

Tensions flared after Curry’s tackle on Juan Cruz Mallia, which left the Argentina full-back injured and forced the Pumas to finish the match a man down. Coach Felipe Contepomi didn’t hold back in the aftermath, branding the tackle “reckless” and labelling Curry a “bully,” even claiming the England flanker struck him in the tunnel.

News has since surfaced that Cruz Mallia suffered an ACL injury and now faces a significant spell on the sidelines. Argentina have also lodged a formal complaint regarding the post-match confrontation, prompting an investigation.

But Marler isn’t having any of it. Speaking on talkSPORT, he called the accusation baseless.

“As if Contepomi’s come out and called him a bully,” he told Breakfast. “Curry couldn’t be further from it.

“I reckon heat of the moment, Contepomi was just livid about losing the game and he’s come out, maybe it was the wrong word or wrong choice of words.

“I think Curry ran to apologise to the guy he’d hurt by accident, he hadn’t intentionally gone out to hurt him, so I completely disagree with Contepomi and his comment about Curry being a bully.

“He’s a good lad, he’s a world class player and he optimises what England are about, these young, tough, hard attitude that Steve’s [Borthwick] put in the squad.”

Marler is buoyed by England’s direction under Borthwick, but he still believes one team stands above the rest on the world stage.

He added: “South Africa, what they did to Ireland last week, just destroyed them at scrum time.

“Then all around the park Rassie Erasmus [coach] just keeps changing the game, he’s an innovator and he keeps changing the squad.

“So they’re still number one in the world, if the World Cup was tomorrow they’d be favourites, but England are a close second for me at the minute.”

As we await the final fixture, Wales v South Africa—staged outside the Test window—there’s enough evidence to identify each team's brightest stars and its biggest disappointments from an unforgettable autumn campaign overall.

Best: George Ford
Ford has shown the absolute best of himself this autumn, bringing creativity and experience to England’s attack and driving much of the positive play across their four wins. It is no coincidence that he’s trusted to start the biggest games. He deserves huge praise for bouncing back after last year’s disappointment and missing out on the Lions tour.

Worst: Jamie George
England’s poor performers are few and far between, and in truth, George hasn’t been terrible by any stretch. The bar is simply incredibly high at the moment, and he is unfortunate to find himself at the bottom of it. He didn’t get as many minutes as he would have liked and, although solid, he didn’t bring anything revolutionary.

Best: Mack Hansen
It wasn’t Ireland’s greatest campaign, but Hansen stood out—especially with his rapid hat-trick against Australia, the highlight of their autumn. One of the few Irish stars with many years still ahead of him, he remains a genuine reason for optimism going forward.

Worst: Andrew Porter
Porter was dominated by the South African scrum, a huge disappointment for someone usually known for his strength. Opponents have increasingly exposed him in recent months, and his level has dropped noticeably over the past year.

Best: Alex Mann
Mann has been outstanding for Wales, replacing Jac Morgan with minimal fuss and filling big boots impressively. Depth has been an issue for the squad, but Mann’s seamless emergence is a major positive. At just 23, he’s a huge talent and could be vital in the coming years.

Worst: Josh Adams
Adams’ red card in a crucial moment almost cost Wales the match against Japan and led to his suspension for the final two games. Shown a yellow on the stroke of half-time for a dangerous clearout, he came close to costing Wales both the win and a place in band two for the World Cup draw.

Best: Ewan Ashman
Ashman has really stepped up and is a fantastic option at hooker, scoring plenty of tries—including a brace against Argentina. He handled the basics well but added flair when required.

Worst: Blair Kinghorn
Kinghorn struggled to build any momentum and failed to make an impact against New Zealand or Argentina, games where a player of his quality should shine. A disappointing autumn for him.

Best: Fraser McReight
Despite Australia’s struggles, McReight impressed with his strong defence and excellent jackalling. One of the few players to emerge with credit from a forgettable autumn.

Worst: Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i
Only a year after bursting onto the scene, Sua'ali'i’s hype has cooled following a poor campaign. He barely touched the ball, and when he did, he was largely ineffective.

Best: Louis Bielle-Biarrey
France’s most exciting young talent justified the hype once again with several brilliant performances. Arguably the most potent winger in the world, he spearheaded France’s attack on multiple occasions.

Worst: Emmanuel Meafou
Meafou’s ill-discipline proved costly, as he looked far too eager in key moments, ultimately having a negative impact on the side.

Best: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
The young fly-half showed exactly why he’s seen as the future of the Springboks backline. Displaying remarkable maturity under pressure, he guided the team through difficult spells.

Worst: Lood de Jager
His sending off against France could have proved disastrous, and he was fortunate the Boks still won. That lack of discipline earns him the unwanted tag of South Africa’s worst performer.

Best: Will Jordan
Jordan delivered when it mattered, continuing his outrageous try-scoring record at Test level. He provided the spark New Zealand often lacked on this tour.

Worst: Cortez Ratima
Ratima looked off the pace and failed to meet All Black standards. With sluggish play and little impact—even against Wales—he has plenty to work on.

Best: Justo Piccardo
Despite Argentina’s array of big names, Piccardo was the standout. The 23-year-old shone against both Scotland and England, scoring in each. His try off the bench versus Scotland capped a breakout autumn.

Worst: Pedro Delgado
Argentina’s scrum faltered, and Delgado wasn’t at his best. He struggled to make an impact and still has much to learn at international level.