The British and Ireland Lions head to tour Australia in the context of defeat, but what can they learn from their defeat to Argentina and help them win the series?
Andy Farrell’s side was short against Pumas after being beaten 28-24 by Argentina in front of the sold-out Aviva Stadium, overturning an 11-point deficit early in the second half.
The attempted penalty and Tadhg Beirne’s score after the break created a path to victory for the Lions, but Argentina’s ruthless counterattack wiped out Santiago Coldero for an attempt to play the match in the 59th minute.
The hosts were unable to break down their stubborn opponents in the closure phase, securing a famous victory for Pumas – for the first time in eight attempts over the Lions – and the first time the Lions have lost their tour opening game since 1971.
What did the lion do? Where can you improve before facing Australia? Sky Sports experts Owen Farrell, Sam Warburton, John Berkeley and Will Greenwood analyze some of the key topics from thrilling test matches…
Lions 24-28 Argentina
“Lots of hell to learn for the lion”
Former Lions fly half Farrell wasn’t overly concerned about the defeat, and highlighted how valuable it is for his successor to quickly win a competitive game on the tour.
“A lot of games played in the right parts of the field,” says Farrell. I told Sky Sports. “Obviously, a lot of balls don’t stick, and there are many images that they can look back and learn.
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Captain Malo Itoge of the British and Ireland Lions showed that his side had a glimpse of what they could give, but he showed that he was inconsistent with Argentina
“Argentina was incredibly good at counter punches when the opportunity came, whether it was a floor ball or sales.
“I’m sure the Lions boys will be frustrating, but the main thing is that they play a great, competitive game and have some images to see what the standard is and what it isn’t.
“They’ll learn a lot of hell, they’ll learn a lot of hell about each other, they’ll learn a lot of hell as a team and leave them there next week.”
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Lions head coach Andy Farrell branded his team’s defeat to Argentina in Dublin as “unacceptable”
Warburton, whose two series as captain of the Lions featured an opening game with the wild bars in 2013 and an opening game with the wild bars in New Zealand in 2017, asserted that Argentine allocations in the stern would benefit.
“That game is very good at neglecting the game in the past than playing an invitational team that wins with 50 points,” he said.
“The Lions will learn more from this game. Yes, yes, they wanted to gain momentum early on, but what kind of test is it? You can analyze this now, learn from it and move on.”
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Sky Sports’ Eleanor Roper and former Lions captain Sam Warburton analyze the topic of the opening tour match between the British and Ireland Lions against Argentina.
Argentina… the toughest Lions warm-up match ever?
Los Pumas was responding to billing as the fifth best team in the world.
“For the last 12 months outside of Ireland, they beat them all. That’s the caliber of this Argentine team,” Lion Greenwood said on three occasions. “Their back row is outstanding, and everyone – to the man – outstanding.”
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The British and Irish Lions were greatly welcomed by the Dublin crowd on their way to the stadium
Warburton added: “The Lions will be better [losing] But first we must bless Argentina. They were very good.
“Their defensive set at the end of the game – under extreme fatigue – was great. They missed seven or eight frontline players, but they still offered great performances.”
Where should the lion improve?
The Lions showed many offensive intent, but sometimes they were guilty of overplaying as they were lost on multiple occasions from another area that needed lineouts or improvements.
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The Lions advanced in the second half after a vibrant Ellis Jenge line destroyed the LED.
“The lineouts are revisable,” said Scotland captain Berkeley. “I think it’s definitely one of the most difficult parts of the game. Everyone moves slightly differently and the small misses feature can’t get the ball, which is where frustration comes from at the lineout.
“I don’t think there was just some of them, as Andy Farrell mentioned.
“You want to be a team that knows when the ball is on and when it’s off, and it’s turned on, there’s a lot of good stuff, but I think Test rugby is about putting pressure on it.
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Argentina picked up a loose ball on his own 22 and scored a breakaway try on a halftime stroke, extending the lead against the Lions
“If your lineout isn’t working and you’re being beaten in an aerial game, if you’re forcing off-roading and dropping the ball, it’s very difficult to keep that pressure on.”
How do lions react? “We have to learn quickly.”
The Lions headed to Australia ahead of their warm-up match with Western Force next Saturday to admit that they were not clinical enough during their defeat, along with Centre Bandiaki, who scored an opening try against Argentina, live on Sky Sports.
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Bundy Aki raided through multiple Argentine defenders and won the first British and Irish Lions on the 2025 tour
“We’re not making excuses. Argentina is well-blooded, well-dressed,” Aki said. I told Sky Sports. “When we weren’t clinical, they punished us. Every turn of events we made scored.
“We bouncing back in the second half and reminded us at halftime when Andy Farrell intended to be a lion. When that got hard, you need to push it to another level. In certain parts of the game, we did it.
“This shows where we are as a group. We can only get better from here. We know we’ll challenge ourselves before us. None of the nine games are easy.
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Watch the Australian tour of British and Ireland’s Lions exclusively live on Sky Sports this summer.
What’s next for the lion?
Sky Sports We will only showcase the 2025 British and Ireland Lions Tour, with all three tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches showing live only.
The Lions warm-up game will begin with a warm-up game with the Western Army of Perth ahead of further matches against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane (July 2), Waratah in Sydney (July 5), Brunby in Canberra (July 9), Adelaide’s invitation Australia & New Zealand side (July 12), and the Melbourne Rebellion (July 9).
The game will take place after the opening test in Brisbane on July 19th, with the second MCG test held in Melbourne on July 26th and the final one at Sydney’s Acole Stadium on August 2nd. Stream lions in the UK and Ireland without a contract
