England rugby duo were banned for breaking strict rule against Australia
As England's Autumn Nations Series gets underway against Australia, we look back on the controversial 2015 Rugby World Cup clash between the pair, which ended in two coaches being banned
Two England coaches were banned for their actions during a match against Australia almost exactly a decade ago. And the Red Rose will be looking to avoid such controversy in their upcoming clash with the Wallabies this Saturday.
Steve Borthwick's team will kick off their autumn campaign with a match against Australia at Twickenham. It’s the same venue where the Southern Hemisphere team knocked England out of the home Rugby World Cup in October 2015, a match that ended in a 33-13 thrashing and was not without its share of controversy.
Two first-half tries from Bernard Foley put Australia in the lead at half-time. The Wallabies were ahead 17-3 as they headed back to the dressing rooms, and it was then that England assistants Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree confronted referee Romain Poite in the tunnel.
Such interference is strictly forbidden by World Rugby rules, mainly to prevent the game from being swayed in one direction or another. The defeat meant the Red Rose had no way to advance past the pool stage following a surprise loss to Wales.
England had a more productive second half, but it wasn't enough to reverse the disastrous first 40 minutes. And it wasn't long before Australia's suspicions were confirmed.
READ MORE: Major sporting event returns to BBC for first time since 2003 as big change announcedREAD MORE: Lewis Moody to make emotional Twickenham appearance before England vs AustraliaA statement issued by World Rugby after the match stated: "World Rugby is investigating an alleged breach by the England coaching team of the match-day communications protocol between match officials and team members or union officials during the match between England and Australia."
It's understandable why emotions ran so high, given England's World Cup survival hung in the balance. However, such a breach of regulations between two rugby powerhouses was hard to fathom, even at the time.
The statement went on to say: "The protocol prohibits certain conduct on match days including coaches approaching match officials during a match or at half-time during a match."
The Daily Mail later reported that Farrell and Rowntree "berated" Poite in the tunnel. Their frustration is thought to have stemmed primarily from Australia flanker Michael Hooper escaping punishment for a challenge on England full-back Mike Brown.
As punishment, they were barred from England's changing room for the final pool match against minnows Uruguay. This meant they were unable to speak with their players at the Etihad Stadium for 15 minutes before kick-off, during the break and for 10 minutes after the final whistle.
While England crashed out in the group stage, Australia reached their fourth Rugby World Cup final. The Wallabies were defeated 34-17 by rivals New Zealand at Twickenham.
Neither Farrell nor Rowntree's careers were hurt in the long term. The former has gone on to lead a new generation of success with Ireland and recently took the British and Irish Lions to a tour victory in Australia, while Rowntree has gone on to coach Munster and Georgia.
Meanwhile, Australia endured years of disappointment at Twickenham before bouncing back with a surprise win at the ground last year. And they're hoping to go back-to-back at Headquarters for the first time since 2008/09 as the autumn window begins anew on Saturday.
The Rugby Autumn Nations Series gets underway on November 1 with Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland among the teams in action. Fans can watch every game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.