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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
British and Irish Lions 24 Argentina 28: Lions stunned by Pumas to lose opening match for first time in 54 years
Scroll down to see the scorers LION TAMERS British and Irish Lions 24 Argentina 28: Lions stunned by Pumas to lose opening match for first time in 54 years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MARO ITOJE's Lions failed to roar as they were mauled by the Pumas to start their summer with a flop. Itoje's side will fly to Australia with a massive hangover from this reverse and only days to sort themselves out down under. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Argentina edged out the British and Irish Lions Credit: PA 3 It is the first time the Lions have lost their first game in over 50 years Credit: Getty 3 Itoje was taken off with nine minutes to go Credit: Getty Itoje himself was replaced with nine minutes left and although his side chucked everything at it in the final 10 the Pumas held out. The Lions had fought back from 11 points down at half-time thanks to a penalty try and a score from Tadhg Beirne made by Tomos Williams' pass. Most of the team on show have only had 10 days together and it showed with dropped passes and some wonky line outs before they hit their stride in the second half. In 2021, the Lions beat Japan 28-10 in Edinburgh in a warm-up and seven of the starters made into the run-on team in the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town. READ MORE RUGBY NEWS BEACH LIFE Swansea set to have new seaside stadium with club to leave 21,088-seater home So this was an audition which England wing Tommy Freeman passed with flying colours but Duhan van der Merwe fluffed his lines. The Argentinians beat all of the southern hemisphere big dogs in the Rugby Championship last year and are no mugs and are ranked fifth in the world, three places above Australia and ahead of England, Scotland and Wales. And the best of British were 21-10 down at the break as their defence was ripped open too often for comfort. The Pumas were quickly 8-3 up thanks to a score from wing Ignacio Mendy who cut inside a back tracking Duhan van der Merwe to touch down. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Then Itoje's side had tries for Luke Cowan-Dickie and centre Sione Tuipulotu chalked off by the TMO. Cowan-Dickie dropped the ball over the line and Alex Mitchell knocked on in the build-up to Tuipulotu's effort. The Lions scrum held up well and their attacking finally got some change out of the visitors when Bundee Aki went route one to bulldoze over on 18 minutes. But Puma fly-half Tomas Albornoz added a try from his own half to his three first-half penalties just before half-time. But Farrell must have had some harsh words at the break as the Lions came out firing and were soon over for the penalty try and Beirne's score put them into a 24-21 lead but Santiago Cordero's score grabbed it back and the Pumas stayed in front.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
British and Irish Lions 24 Argentina 28: Lions stunned by Pumas to lose opening match for first time in 54 years
MARO ITOJE's Lions failed to roar as they were mauled by the Pumas to start their summer with a flop. Advertisement 3 Argentina edged out the British and Irish Lions Credit: PA 3 It is the first time the Lions have lost their first game in over 50 years Credit: Getty 3 Itoje was taken off with nine minutes to go Credit: Getty Itoje himself was replaced with nine minutes left and although his side chucked everything at it in the final 10 the Pumas held out. The Lions had fought back from 11 points down at half-time thanks to a penalty try and a score from Tadhg Beirne made by Tomos Williams' pass. Most of the team on show have only had 10 days together and it showed with dropped passes and some wonky line outs before they hit their stride in the second half. In 2021, the Lions beat Japan 28-10 in Edinburgh in a warm-up and seven of the starters made into the run-on team in the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Advertisement READ MORE RUGBY NEWS So this was an audition which England wing Tommy Freeman passed with flying colours but The Argentinians beat all of the southern hemisphere big dogs in the Rugby Championship last year and are no mugs and are ranked fifth in the world, three places above Australia and ahead of England, Scotland and Wales. And the best of British were 21-10 down at the break as their defence was ripped open too often for comfort. The Pumas were quickly 8-3 up thanks to a score from wing Ignacio Mendy who cut inside a back tracking Duhan van der Merwe to touch down. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Then Itoje's side had tries for Luke Cowan-Dickie and centre Sione Tuipulotu chalked off by the TMO. Cowan-Dickie dropped the ball over the line and Alex Mitchell knocked on in the build-up to Tuipulotu's effort. The Lions scrum held up well and their attacking finally got some change out of the visitors when Bundee Aki went route one to bulldoze over on 18 minutes. Advertisement But Puma fly-half Tomas Albornoz added a try from his own half to his three first-half penalties just before half-time. But Farrell must have had some harsh words at the break as the Lions came out firing and were soon over for the penalty try and Beirne's score put them into a 24-21 lead but Santiago Cordero's score grabbed it back and the Pumas stayed in front. Match scorers Here are the scorers from the match... Lions : Tries: Aki, Penalty try, Beirne; Cons: (2); Pen: Argentina : Tries: Mendy, Albornoz, Cordero; Cons: Albornoz (2); Pens: Albornoz (3)
RTÉ News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Maro Itoje
NAME: Maro Itoje DOB: 28/10/1994 POSITION: Second row CLUB: Saracens SCOTLAND CAPS: 93 LIONS CAPS: 6 Itoje is on his third Lions tour, having played in all six Tests in New Zealand 2017 and South Africa 2021. The Saracens lock was made captain of England for the 2025 Six Nations, replacing his club team-mate Jamie George. He is also the first English captain of a Lions tour since Martin Johnson in 2001. Itoje has won five Premiership titles and three Champions Cups in his time at Saracens.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Maro Itoje keen to road test second row combo with Tadhg Beirne
On Thursday, Andy Farrell admitted to playing some fantasy rugby in his head over the last few weeks, but ultimately he's found it to be a pointless venture. The British and Irish Lions coach had been running potential Test combinations in his mind, and mapping out what his side to face the Wallabies in Brisbane on 19 July could look like, only for that to change by the day. "You actually can't even go there because there's such good competition," Farrell said of his failed attempts to draft a Test squad. "That's how it should be." In his time in charge of Ireland, Farrell has continually referred to the follies of "best laid plans", particularly during the 2023 Grand Slam campaign, when last minute injuries threatened to disrupt Ireland's opening games. He may be coming into this 10-game stretch with an open mind around selection, but on Friday he'll get a first glance at two combinations which have a strong chance of being his Test starters. With Blair Kinghorn still at Toulouse, and a chunk of his squad only joining the group on Monday after their involvements in the URC and Premiership finals last weekend, the matchday squad for Friday's tour opener against Argentina went along expected lines, but the combination of Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu is one that jumped off the page. The other area of Farrell's first starting lineup is at second row, where captain Maro Itoje and Munster's Tadhg Beirne team up in the engine room. The pair played together on the 2021 tour of South Africa, but didn't rub shoulders as much in the second row, with Beirne used primarily as a flanker by Warren Gatland. But having roomed together already on this camp, Itoje is looking forward to getting to know his locking partner further, both on and off the pitch. "I'm really enjoying spending time with Tadhg," the England captain said. "I spent a bit of time with him on the last tour. We built a good relationship and it's been amazing we've been able to continue that. "He's a fantastic player. He has a level of physicality that's really impressive. I've been impressed with his leadership and how he is around the boys in a very calm and mature way. "As Andy said, this is our first opportunity to set the standard that we want to be, set the kind of team that we want to be, and give, our first account of ourselves. So we've had just under two weeks of great prep. And we're excited to get going." Itoje (above) is no stranger to the Aviva, with this being the tenth time he's played at Lansdowne Road in his career. He's won in three of his nine previous visits to Dublin 4, although as a key member of Saracens and England teams, he's looking forward to experiencing the venue as part of the home team. "It's going to be amazing. It's been very nice to be so warmly received in Dublin. That tends not to be the case! "It's going to be a great spectacle. It's one the players can't wait for to be honest. We can't wait to get out there and show ourselves and others what we're about. We're looking forward to it. "I think the big thing that we've all been trying to do is to make this group as cohesive as possible on and off the field. We've players more for four countries coming together, all have different philosophies, all play the game differently, or see the game differently, or have unique talents and attributes. "What we want to do is make the team as tight as possible. We want to make it as cohesive, as solid as possible. If we're like that on and off the field, because off the field is arguably just as important as on it, it will flow into our rugby who will flow into the enjoyment that we want to have during this whole campaign."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Maro Itoje on being first black Lions captain, wife's response and Australia
The England and Saracens second row joins an illustrious group of men to lead the Lions as they head Down Under to face Australia with Itoje taking on his third captaincy role in less than 12 months As a keen studier of literature, philosophy and politics, Maro Itoje may already be aware of Aristotle's maxim that 'everything that is perfect comes in threes'. That has certainly been the case for the 30-year-old when it comes to leadership roles. Having succeeded Owen Farrell as Saracens captain last summer, Itoje then took the England reins from Jamie George before this year's Six Nations. And perhaps the greatest honour of all was still to come, with Itoje installed as British & Irish Lions captain for the 2025 Tour of Australia. Itoje, of course, was informed of his selection for the role before the Thames-side selection showpiece – and risked a domestic rift after hearing the news. 'My fiancé (now wife) was in the room with me as I finished the conversation with Andy (Farrell),' he said. 'I dropped the phone, I looked at her, and I had a quizzical look on my face. She looked at me and said 'why are you looking at me like that', with a little bit of an attitude. 'But then I told her the news and she was very, very happy, jumped for joy. I told my parents as well later on that day, they were super pumped, super excited. It was really nice.' Itoje has often recalled the cultural values which were drummed into him by his Nigerian parents – 'respect, respect for seniority, culture, the food we eat, and all of those things that are different to Western norms or British culture' – and says it 'became normal to operate in two different worlds' while growing up. He did not have any awareness of rugby until the age of 11, with Neil Harris, head of rugby at St George's School in Harpenden, earmarked as a key influence for a young Itoje. The school also counts Farrell, George and George Ford among its alumni and Itoje was something of a sporting all-rounder. He excelled at basketball and athletics, proving particularly strong over 200m and in shot put, at which he was once ranked second in the country for his age. Rugby ultimately won the battle for his affections and his leadership skills were honed when he captained England Under-20s to Six Nations and World Championship glory in 2014. Two – soon to be three – Lions tours, five Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup titles later, Itoje is ready for the ultimate leadership test. He gained an insight into what to expect at a 'captain's dinner' the night before the squad was announced, with Martin Johnson – the most recent English captain of the Lions – among those in attendance. 'He was very gracious, I enjoyed hearing his stories of yesteryear and he has offered his support with anything I need,' Itoje said. 'I'm sure I'll be tapping into that at some point. The dinner was quite cool, quite surreal. It reminded me of the prestige this jersey holds and what it means to a lot of people. 'The Lions is an elite environment but it also feels like one of the few remaining old school rugby environments in terms of the membership of it, the exclusive nature of it. It was amazing to break bread with some of those legends who I look up to.' There is far more to Itoje than the gifted second-rower and inspirational leader visible on the rugby field. He has embraced his status as a role model and never shied away from taking a stance on issues beyond his sport. Itoje spoke out in the wake of George Floyd's death, for example, outlining a desire to educate people. "Racial bias affects everyone - so black people have racial bias, white people have racial bias,' he told the BBC. "But what happens is, when white people have this racial bias and they then get into positions of power - they become teachers, become university professors, politicians, broadcasters - it affects everybody. "Once that happens, they then act unconsciously - some consciously and unconsciously - on this racial bias, and produce a system which is not equal opportunity for all." Now installed as the Lions' first black captain, Itoje will continue to use his status as a force for good and build on the work done by The Pearl Fund, a charity he launched in 2023 funding education in Ghana, Nigeria and other African countries. The lock, who graduated with an MBA from Warwick Business School in January 2024, has also been vocal about his urge to build a career outside of rugby when his playing days are over. But his immediate focus is on etching his name into Lions folklore. Having taken on the England captaincy from his long-time Saracens and Lions teammate George at the start of the year, he played a key role as Steve Borthwick's much-improved side finished second. He will now join forces with those on the opposing side in that competition to try and repeat the exploits of the 2013 tourists, who were successful Down Under. 'I was at school during that time, which sounds crazy now,' he said. 'One of the key bits for me was George North, when he picked up Izzy Falau and ran a few yards, that got the whole crowd on their feet. 'Then there was Leigh Halfpenny's kicks, one of them to win the game, the drama in and around that. And there was a lot of noise in and around the final Test selection, with Brian (O'Driscoll) being dropped, and how they went to dominate that last game. All round, it was a great tour full of drama.' The second-row is renowned as a serious thinker and determined operator but is also prioritising enjoyment for the Lions' class of 2025, having been part of the squad on the ghost tour four years ago which saw strict Covid rules in place and no fans present. 'You can tell the energy for the Lions is at an all-time high, so it's going to be special,' he said. 'I can't wait to see that Sea of Red again. There is a long list of players here in this squad who I've gone to battle with and against for a number of years and haven't had the opportunity to play with, which is really exciting.' Itoje once put his initial love of rugby down to three things - a desire to make friends, loving being part of a team and being 'obsessed' with wearing the county club tie. The colour of the tie may have changed but the first two principles remain firmly in place as he prepares for the challenge of a lifetime. 'First and foremost, the most important thing is performance,' he said. 'Being captain doesn't necessarily mean you are going to play, you have to perform at a high level. Through your performance, everything else follows. That will be at the front of my mind. 'Ultimately, it comes down to how we all come together. The success of this tour will be how we buy in, how we connect. 'The rugby will take care of itself, the real success of the tour will be how tight we can be as a team and a group of men.'
