Andy Farrell made no excuses when he reflected on his side's opening defeat after the match, speaking to Sky Sports.
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Head coach Andy Farrell says the British and Irish Lions must learn "a lot of lessons" from a "disconnected" performance in Friday's 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin as they prepare to embark on their Australian tour.
The Lions fielded 14 debutants on Friday and a new captain in Maro Itoje, who described his first outing as skipper as a "spectacular occasion" before echoing Farrell's downbeat comments about the performance.
"We gave ourselves numerous opportunities but we weren't accurate enough at times and weren't consistent enough in putting pressure under Argentina," said Itoje.
"As we improve our relationships and spend more time together in training and understanding each other's triggers, it'll come.
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"There are no excuses. We should have been better today but as with other areas of the game, we'll learn and get better together."
The Grand Slam-winning coach lamented the fact that Argentina showed more hunger than the team he had selected in spite of what is at stake over the coming weeks.
"Throwing passes that were never on but it wasn't just that," he reflected.
"The aerial battle and the scraps on the floor... they were hungrier than us and that is just not acceptable.
"A few lineouts and our breakdown work was off at times. Disappointed but we need to be honest with ourselves, take the learnings and if we do and improve at least it will stand for something."
Fan Reactions:
“Really respect Farrell’s honesty here. No excuses, just owning It,"
“It’s tough to take a loss like this, but Farrell’s willingness to call out the hunger and effort gaps shows he’s serious about fixing things.”
“Love how upfront Farrell is. Acknowledging mistakes openly sets the tone for real improvement.”
“Not many coaches would admit their team was out-hungered on such a big stage. Farrell’s honesty is refreshing.”
“The captain and coach both laying it all out there shows they’re ready to grind and build. Respect.”
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Four Lions players who flopped against Argentina in tour opener
#1. Luke Cowan-Dickie
Planet Rugby 4/10: "Did brilliantly wiggle through the tackles of Joaquin Oviedo and Juan Martin González but split the ball with the line begging. His lineout throws were wayward which severely disrupted the Lions’ flow. He was part of an excellent scrummaging effort, though."
Rugby Pass 5/10: "A fumble cost him the opening try of the 2025 Lions series off a Lions catch and drive. A few too many lineout howlers from the Cornishman, his Bluetooth connection with Itoje looking a tad unstable."
JOE 5/10: "An error-strewn performance. Dropped the ball over the line in the first half."
#2. Duhan van der Merwe
Rugby Pass 5/10: "A mixed bag from big Dewie. A couple of promising inside cuts opened his account, but the defensive ring rust was there to see, having very little recent rugby under his belt.
"Got beaten with an Ignacio Mendy inside step for Los Pumas’ opening five-pointer and was somewhat at fault for Los Pumas’ score just before halftime. Always drew defensive attention and made plenty of metres after contact."
JOE 5.5: "Made an awesome break in the first half, but from then on pretty much nothing went right for the Scot. Looked very dodgy, weak in the air, and a prime target to attack."
Telegraph 5/10: "Understandably rusty in his first game for almost three months. Finished the first period by losing possession, leading to a Pumas try, and was quiet in the second. Had started promisingly, stepping off his left to carve open the Pumas."
Flo Rugby 4/10: "Outside of a few early runs, the Scottish winger had a tough first outing. His defensive position exposed the Lions' backfield. In the air, he couldn’t quite get to grips with the high ball,s whilst his one-on-one tackling left a lot to be desired."
BALLS 5/10: "Superb line break, on six minutes, but missed a pass that would have put Mitchell away. Costly error after he was tackled led to Argentina try before the break. Not great under the high ball. An iffy game."
The Irish Times 5/10: "He was a mixed bag in the first half, hitting rucks and a great one-handed pass to Tommy Freeman early on. Was an early threat but was turned over going forward for the Albornoz try before half-time."
#3. Tom Curry
BALLS 5/10: "Hefty tackle, close to his own line, shut down try-scoring opportunity for Argentina. Some bright moments but too many were followed by errors. His decision to pressure Tomas Albornoz back-fired when he and Pollock were easily evaded and Argentina counter-attacked to score. Shelled an easy Furlong pass."
Flo Rugby 5.5/10: "Started the fixture strong and got through plenty of work with 12 tackles, 9 carries and a turnover. Unlike his top-line performances, he could never quite find that key impact moment, which would disappoint him."
#4. Marcus Smith
Flo Rugby 5.5/10: "Started the fixture strong and got through plenty of work with 12 tackles, 9 carries and a turnover. Unlike his top-line performances, he could never quite find that key impact moment, which would disappoint him."
Rugby Pass 5/10: "Scrappy enough for the Harlequin. Opened his 2025 Lions’ account with a poor kick chase and miss tackle and didn’t look terribly comfortable in the air either.
"Saw a bit of ball but was proved a limited counter-attacking threat. Didn’t force the game but did his best to remain involved from the back. Overall, an evening to forget."
The Irish Times 5/10: "Scrambled well for a kicked through ball at the end of the first halfbut wasn’t always solid under the high kicks. Caught out of position and didn’t read the threat when Santiago Cordero scored his second-half try."
Flo Rugby 5/10: "A truly frustrating evening for the England playmaker, who was ultra busy, had some flashes of pure brilliance, but was ultimately brutally exposed by the Pumas' kicking game. Unable to compete consistently in the air and getting caught out of position in the backfield highlighted why flyhalf remains his best position.
"The challenge for him will be whether he can work his way onto the bench as the back-up ten or even challenge for the starting position. With both Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan in the squad, it is tough to envisage Smith getting the nod in the 15 shirt against a potent Wallabies kicking game."
Honourable mentions:
Henry Pollock:
Balls 510: "Missed Albornoz in the lead-up to the Cordero try."
Flo Rugby: "Hyping himself and his teammates up as he came off the bench, the electric young backrow did not have the impact he hoped for. Missing a key tackle as Los Pumas raced away was a big black mark on his evening. On the positive side of things, he had a nice carry on the left-hand side of the pitch, which made some good yards. he was always looking for work and was clearly well-marked by Los Pumas, thus opening a bit of space for those around him."
Rugby Pass 5/10: "Looked pumped on the sidelines but struggled to deliver any highlight reel stuff on this occasion. Active around the breakdown and certainly showed no signs of being overawed on Lions debut."
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