The British and Irish Lions suffered a 28-24 defeat against Argentina in Dublin, marking their first opening tour loss since 1971.
This upset marked a significant turning point, as no Lions team had previously lost their opening tour match in over five decades.
The Pumas presented a formidable challenge, exhibiting exceptional form and strength.
Despite immediately acknowledging Argentina’s victory, head coach Andy Farrell will undoubtedly focus on areas needing improvement before the Lions’ first Australian match against Western Force on June 28th.
Team cohesion emerged as the central theme during the Lions’ pre-match media briefing.
Considering past difficulties in team integration, and the fact this was the first outing for a largely new squad, achieving immediate synergy seemed a significant hurdle.
Two-time Lion Tadhg Beirne, however, countered this notion, highlighting the world-class caliber of the players involved.
The Lions’ attack during their first 80 minutes showcased a dichotomy of ambition and execution.
Their strategic approach was strong, creating numerous opportunities through skillful play.
However, execution faltered. Missed offloads and poorly timed passes hampered their effectiveness.
While the team displayed promising aspects of their ball-handling capabilities, Farrell will demand enhanced precision before their Australian matches.
“Our downfall was a high number of errors, preventing us from maintaining the desired pace,” stated the frustrated head coach post-match.
Argentina Upsets Lions in Dublin Thriller
Farrell Highlights ‘Disconnected’ Performance, Emphasizes Lessons Learned from Pumas Loss
Lions Fall to Argentina in Pre-Tour Dublin Match
Prop Ellis Genge delivered a noteworthy performance, excelling both with ball in hand and in the set-piece.
While attacking combinations often garner immediate attention with new Lions teams, Friday’s defeat highlighted the persistent challenges of rapidly transforming a collection of exceptional individuals into a cohesive Test-ready unit in the set-piece.
Despite numerous ball-handling errors, the line-out performance proved particularly concerning.
The Lions lost possession four times out of eighteen line-out throws, a disappointing statistic considering the maul’s effectiveness when successful.
“We were finding our rhythm; it wasn’t as smooth as we’d hoped, but we’ll undoubtedly improve,” stated captain Maro Itoje.
“We’ll analyze, learn from our mistakes, and elevate our game.
“Strengthening our connections and understanding each other’s cues through training will yield progress.”
The scrum, however, presented a contrasting narrative. Farrell described the set-piece performance as “aggressive,” with the front row consistently earning penalties.
Starting props Ellis Genge and Finlay Bealham (the latter a late addition following Zander Fagerson’s injury) strongly positioned themselves for significant roles on the tour.
Argentina Exploited Aerial Weakness
Joe Schmidt’s coaching tenure with Ireland (2013-2019) was characterized by his ability to identify and exploit opponents’ weaknesses.
The Australian coach will undoubtedly have noted the Lions’ defensive struggles and vulnerability under high balls in their back three.
The team’s positioning was sometimes compromised, resulting in missed tackles, with Argentina capitalizing on high ball opportunities.
Schmidt’s more athletic backs might exploit this aerial weakness if the Lions fail to improve before the Test series.
Farrell expressed significant frustration at the Lions’ inability to secure loose balls in scrambles following dropped kicks.
“Disappointingly, Argentina consistently secured loose balls in these contested situations,” he remarked.
“Their tenacity and hunger are unacceptable for us.”
Regarding players’ Test prospects, Farrell stated: “Some players will be pleased, while others will be eager for another chance.”
The timing of this tour presented challenges, as many key players were unavailable due to participation in the United Rugby Championship and Premiership finals, along with Blair Kinghorn from Toulouse.
Following the loss, Farrell has the opportunity to rotate the squad against Western Force, integrating fresh players into the tour.
Players such as James Lowe and Hugo Keenan are expected to enhance high ball capabilities, while Garry Ringrose and Huw Jones appear more natural fits in the outside center position.
After Fin Smith’s impressive performance at fly-half, Finn Russell’s debut will be highly anticipated.
A sell-out crowd of 51,700 filled Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
While not an official Test match, the atmosphere mirrored a Test-level occasion.
“Spectacular,” summarized Maro Itoje.
A large portion of the crowd arrived early, with many red jerseys filling the streets before kickoff.
In contrast to the largely empty stadiums during the 2019 South Africa tour due to COVID-19 restrictions, the match highlighted the significant role supporters will play in Australia.
“I don’t think the fans fully grasp how much their support means to us,” commented center Bundee Aki, recalling the South Africa tour.
“The sea of red gave me goosebumps. It was incredible compared to our last tour.”
British and Irish Lions Australian Tour Fixtures
Lions Must Learn from Pumas Defeat – Farrell
Skelton Eager for Lions Rematch: ‘I Was Very Raw’
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser