British & Irish Lions 24–28 Argentina
A wake-up call
The Lions didn’t just lose – they got outmuscled, out-thought and, crucially, out-believed.
Argentina brought intensity and cohesion, while the Lions stuttered through their own curtain-raiser at the Aviva stadium in Dublin.
Sloppy lineouts, missed connections and a lack of urgency in the 50/50s told the story.
Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne crossed with intent, Fin Smith showed moments of class, but as a unit?
The Lions looked like strangers – and, to a large extent at this stage, they are.
Argentina had too much class
Meanwhile Tomas Albornoz pulled strings for the Pumas like a seasoned puppeteer, and Santiago Cordero’s match-winning try was a dagger through Lions hearts.
Andy Farrell didn’t sugar-coat it — the hunger wasn’t there. And maybe that’s just what this squad needed: a slap of reality before the main act begins.
But don’t count them out. The pieces are in the box. If they fix the fundamentals, build belief and rediscover that classic Lions edge, this Australia series is still theirs for the taking. One stumble doesn’t mean the pride won’t roar.
The first test is at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 19. Nearly a month to gel the squad.
Will the Aussies have enough?
The question could be: Once the Lions are cemented as a team, will their hosts even have enough in the locker to make it a competitive series?
I for one hope they do. There’s nothing better than a British & Irish Lions series with a bit of edge-of-the-seat jeopardy.
Here’s hoping it goes down to a decider on August 2 in Sydney.
