The 2025 Lions started with a disappointing 28-24 defeat to Argentina, who were without a number of top players
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell says he takes responsibility for the Lions’ surprise loss to Argentina in their opening match but claimed some of what he saw was unacceptable.
The famous side went down 28-24 in Dublin as a series of crucial handling errors and missed tackles saw the Pumas take full advantage and pull off an historic win. The game wasn’t without positives for the Lions but they looked like a side that has never played together before.
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Trailing 21-10 at the interval, Farrell’s men went on to produce their most effective rugby but they could not break stubborn opponents ranked fifth in the world in front of a sold-out Aviva Stadium.
A penalty try and Tadhg Beirne touchdown created a path to victory but Argentina’s ruthless counter-attacking swept Santiago Cordero in for the match-winning in the 59th minute. You can read the full report here.
It is the Pumas’ only success in the rivals’ eight meetings and the first time the Lions have lost their tour opener since 1971.
The Lions showed a willingness to attack in a promising sign ahead of their arrival Down Under, but their accuracy failed to match their ambition and they were often guilty of overplaying.
Speaking to Sky Sports in a live TV interview, Farrell said: “It was a show from Argentina. Congrats, they deserved the win and capitalised on all the errors we made.
“There is a lot to do. You can’t win a Test with that error rate. We lost enough balls in that game for a full tour, throwing balls that weren’t on.
“But it wasn’t just that. The aerial battle and the scraps on the floor, they were hungrier than us and that is just not acceptable.
“I’m disappointed. We need to be honest with ourselves and take the learnings from that. If we take the learnings from that at least we will stand for something.
“There was good and bad throughout. We were just a little bit off, I take responsibility for that.
“I hope we are better off for that. We will keep building for the Test matches.”
