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Watch: Farrell Addresses Lions’ Errors in Loss to Pumas
Head coach Andy Farrell highlights the British and Irish Lions’ need for significant improvement after a disjointed performance resulted in a 28-24 defeat against Argentina. Friday’s match marked Argentina’s first victory over the Lions in Dublin after eight attempts.
The Pumas capitalized on multiple Lions errors, securing breakaway tries from Ignacio Mendy, Tomas Albornoz, and Santiago Cordero. The Lions, under Farrell’s first match as head coach, now face a crucial regrouping period before their Australian tour opener.
The team departs for Australia on Saturday, needing to prepare for their match against the Western Force on June 28th.
“We made it a tough game for ourselves,” Farrell admitted, “but Argentina deserved their win. They exploited our errors effectively, and this is a momentous occasion for Argentina.”
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Tries from Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne, along with a penalty try, proved insufficient against the world’s fifth-ranked team. Farrell emphasized the team’s need for honesty and improvement.
“We compounded too many errors, hindering our desired pace. We must be honest; losing hurts, particularly in this jersey. We need swift solutions and self-reflection to build positively from this setback.”
Despite a pre-match training camp in Portugal, Farrell dismissed any notion of insufficient preparation time. He stressed the need for improved performance, acknowledging disconnections within the team’s play.
The team will review the match, seeking positive momentum. The Lions’ Australian tour commences against the Western Force on June 28th.
Friday’s match offered opportunities for players to showcase their abilities for potential Test selection, given the absence of several players due to domestic finals commitments.
Farrell acknowledged individual strong performances while emphasizing the collective need for improvement. The Lions, with 14 debutants and new captain Maro Itoje, face a period of intense self-assessment and team development.
Itoje echoed Farrell’s sentiments, acknowledging inconsistencies in the performance and the team’s need to build cohesion and understanding.
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British and Irish Lions: Marcus Smith; Tommy Freeman, Sione Tuipulotu, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Maro Itoje (capt), Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Elliot Daly, Mack Hansen.
Argentina: Santiago Carreras; Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Justo Piccardo, Ignacio Mendy; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Mayco Vivas, Julian Montoya (capt), Joel Sclavi, Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo
Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger, Francisco Coria Marchetti, Santiago Grondona, Joaquin Moro, Simon Benitez Cruz, Matias Moroni, Santiago Cordero
Sin-bin: Vivas 45
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) and Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
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