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Washington Post
an hour ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
British and Irish Lions lose their Australia tour warmup to Argentina
DUBLIN — First, the good news for the British and Irish Lions: They didn't appear to suffer any tour-ending injuries against Argentina on Friday. The bad news: They lost to Argentina 28-24 in the warmup to their nine-game tour of Australia. The result, humbling for now, will be regarded as a minor setback, maybe even an inspiration, if the Lions go on and win the three-test series against the Wallabies. The Lions led the Pumas for only 12 minutes in the entire match and had two prime attacking chances in the last four minutes. But their lineout maul was stopped in its tracks, then a Lions penalty in front of the posts was overturned due to a neck roll by Tadhg Beirne. 'We weren't as consistent as we would have liked to be. We only showed glimmers of what we can do,' Lions captain Maro Itoje told broadcaster Sky Sports. 'When we were on it, we looked good, we just need to do it more consistently. Argentina showed us where we are lacking. I am happy we had a hard-fought game. We live and learn. This is only match one.' Despite a training camp in Portugal that was meant to help cement combinations, and nine English starters, the Lions still looked less cohesive and determined than Argentina, which was missing a dozen front-liners and had only two proper training runs. The Pumas beat the Lions for the first time in a history between them that goes back to 1910. They also warmed up the 2005 Lions in Cardiff, and suffered heartbreak when Jonny Wilkinson landed a penalty in the 87th minute for a 25-25 draw. No draw this time. The Pumas were ruthless with their chances, and matched the Lions with three tries. Two tries from inside their own 22 were the game's highlights. The Lions enjoyed majority possession, had the better scrum, and gave away only five penalties but they forced too many passes and the Pumas defense was outstanding. 'You can't win a test with that error rate,' Lions coach Andy Farrell said. 'We lost enough balls in that game for a full tour, throwing balls that weren't on. They were hungrier than us with the ball on the ground. '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.' The Lions were nowhere near their test side. Few players from last weekend's finals of the English Premiership and United Rugby Championship were involved, and only six of the 16 Irish players. But the Pumas were understrength, too, for a match outside the test window. Argentina scored the first points, a Tomas Albornoz penalty, and the first try, finished by wing Ignacio Mendy from an Albornoz miss-out pass to fullback Santiago Carreras in a gap. Meanwhile, the Lions had two tries in the first quarter ruled out for knock-ons but Bundee Aki finally got their first touchdown when he busted through three defenders. The second quarter was all Argentina. Albornoz kicked two more penalties and converted his own injury-time try for 21-10. The Lions didn't protect ruck ball in the Argentina 22 and Rodrigo Isgro and Carreras set Albornoz away in an 80-meter counterattack. The Lions rubbed out the deficit thanks to the forwards. A penalty try from a lineout maul also sent Pumas prop Mayco Vivas to the sin-bin, and the Lions used the man advantage to give Beirne a converted try. But moments later, an Isgro aerial catch started a sweeping counterattack involving Albornoz, No. 8 Joaquin Oviedo, debut starter Justo Piccardo and Matias Moroni that was finished by a swan dive from Santiago Cordero. Even with 22 minutes left, the Lions could not find a reply. The first game in Australia is against the Western Force in Perth in eight days. ___ AP rugby:
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Freeman and Van der Merwe miss chance to make impression in tough Lions opener
Swag is a word more common in the US than in this corner of the world. It's a made-to-measure term for athletes with attitude as well as talent; a bit of showmanship to go with the substance. It helps sell the product. When we think of the Lions we like the idea of a bit of swag to go with the occasional success. Scott Gibbs for example, on the 1997 winning tour to South Africa, the trip that rescued the idea of four countries merging into one and still having a relevance in the newly professionalised game. Or Brian O'Driscoll's stunning impact on his first tour, in Australia in 2001. George North did the same thing in the same country in 2013. So this opener was the first audition of who might put their hand up in Australia 2025. On the basis of his exploits on this pitch with Northampton Saints against Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final last month you had to consider Tommy Freeman before the stalls even opened. This game was only 10 minutes old when his mate Fin Smith cross-kicked perfectly to him, 10 metres from the Argentina line, only for Ignacio Mendy to intercept the ball brilliantly in mid- air. Otherwise Freeman could have lodged a claim that the north-east corner of Lansdowne Road should have a plaque with his name on it. Two of his three touchdowns against Leinster came on that little patch of land. The gate to that corner was closed to him thereafter. One of the issues with modern Lions tours is that every minute of game time is one where you have to live your most productive life, for everything up to the first Test is about making the cut for that Test. Sometimes players force stuff. England's wing might want to relive at least one of his offloads, and reshape it more conservatively. He will have lost a night's sleep too over spilling a ball he should have held as the Lions came around the final bend still a few points off the pace, but he finished the night well ahead. Freeman's England teammates, the Smiths, were not quite on the same track. The idea of Marcus as full-back is weighed down with risk, either defending in the air or against bigger men on the ground. It negates all the good stuff he brings in attack. Fin is a different story, though. There was a moment in the first half where he was asked to cover the ground quickly to collect a Puma punt that was certain to involve full-on frontal contact: the sort that might end your participation. He didn't blink. When all the other bits of your game are very good, and you layer on that level of bravery, it's a step towards being part of the bigger picture. In the battle for the keys to No 10 it was a very good night for him. Not so Duhan van der Merwe. When the wing was replaced by Mack Hansen for the final quarter the timing looked unfortunate. Surely it was planned, but hardly intended to follow a brilliant try for Santiago Cordero that started with Van der Merwe losing an aerial challenge. As the home crowd roared their approval at the arrival of Hansen, one of Andy Farrell's favourite players, it must have felt like a long walk for Van der Merwe. All night he looked like a man waiting for the right cards to be dealt only to constantly end up with bum hands. Lions tours demand the ability to make the most of what comes your way, and Scotland's wing was well short. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion He is unlikely to feature on our swag list either way, but Tadhg Furlong is still very much a contender. All season Ireland's tighthead has been getting on the wrong bus, and getting off at the next stop. To have arrived at this point in one piece is an achievement. So a 20-minute spin was about right, but he made it the busiest 20 minutes he has put together in quite a while. He went off for a head injury assessment with the game slipping into its 81st minute, but had sufficient clarity of thought to stop replacement Finlay Bealham – another man who will be happy with his game – to impart some information that was relevant to how the Lions might claw the game back. Whatever it was, it probably needed more time. A bit like the Lions. The award for swagman is up for grabs.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Freeman and Van der Merwe miss chance to make impression in tough Lions opener
Swag is a word more common in the US than in this corner of the world. It's a made-to-measure term for athletes with attitude as well as talent; a bit of showmanship to go with the substance. It helps sell the product. When we think of the Lions we like the idea of a bit of swag to go with the occasional success. Scott Gibbs for example, on the 1997 winning tour to South Africa, the trip that rescued the idea of four countries merging into one and still having a relevance in the newly professionalised game. Or Brian O'Driscoll's stunning impact on his first tour, in Australia in 2001. George North did the same thing in the same country in 2013. Advertisement Related: Lions handed wake-up call as Argentina hang on to edge thrilling win in Dublin So this of who might put their hand up in Australia 2025. On the basis of his exploits on this pitch with Saints against Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final last month you had to consider Tommy Freeman before the stalls even opened. This game was only 10 minutes old when his mate Fin Smith cross-kicked perfectly to him, 10 metres from the Argentina line, only for Ignacio Mendy to intercept the ball brilliantly in mid air. Otherwise Freeman could have lodged a claim that the north-east corner of Lansdowne Road should have a plaque with his name on it. Two of his three touchdowns against Leinster came on that little patch of land. The gate to that corner was closed to him thereafter. One of the issues with modern Lions tours is that every minute of game time is one where you have to live your most productive life, for everything up to the first Test is about making the cut for that Test. Sometimes players force stuff. England's wing might want to relive at least one of his offloads, and reshape it more conservatively. He will have lost a night's sleep too over spilling a ball he should have held as the Lions came around the final bend still a few points off the pace, but he finished the night well ahead. Freeman's England teammates, the Smiths, were not quite on the same track. The idea of Marcus as full-back is weighed down with risk, either defending in the air or against bigger men on the ground. It negates all the good stuff he brings in attack. Advertisement Fin is a different story, though. There was a moment in the first half where he was asked to cover the ground quickly to collect a Puma punt that was certain to involve full-on frontal contact: the sort that might end your participation. He didn't blink. When all the other bits of your game are very good, and you layer on that level of bravery, it's a step towards being part of the bigger picture. In the battle for the keys to No 10 it was a very good night for him. Not so Duhan van der Merwe. When the wing was replaced by Mack Hansen for the final quarter the timing looked unfortunate. Surely it was planned, but hardly intended to follow a brilliant try for Santiago Cordero that started with Van der Merwe losing an aerial challenge. As the home crowd roared their approval at the arrival of Hansen, one of Andy Farrell's favourite players, it must have felt like a long walk for Van der Merwe. All night he looked like a man waiting for the right cards to be dealt only to constantly end up with bum hands. Lions tours demand the ability to make the most of what comes your way, and Scotland's wing was well short. He is unlikely to feature on our swag list either way, but Tadhg Furlong is still very much a contender. All season Ireland's tighthead has been getting on the wrong bus, and getting off at the next stop. To have arrived at this point in one piece is an achievement. So a 20-minute spin was about right, but he made it the busiest 20 minutes he has put together in quite a while. He went off for a HIA with the game slipping into its 81st minute, but had sufficient clarity of thought to stop replacement Finlay Bealham – another man who will be happy with his game – to impart some information that was relevant to how the Lions might claw the game back. Whatever it was, it probably needed more time. A bit like the Lions. The award for swagman is up for grabs.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Historymaker Fin Smith was diligent and unstinting in trying to prime misfiring Lions against Argentina
Tom Elliot died four years before Fin Smith was born in 1998, Lion number 380 and Lion number 862, a Scotland prop and an England outhalf. At the Aviva Stadium on Friday the pair claimed a unique milestone as the first grandfather and grandson to represent the touring team. Elliot did so in the 1955 tour to South Africa under the captaincy of Ireland's Robin Thompson, a squad that drew the series 2-2 with the Springboks, and included one of rugby's great outhalves, Cliff Morgan. Smith used to run around in his grandfather's old Lions gear, dreaming big. On a sultry Dublin night it was realised, bridging a 70-year gap, a poignant moment for his family who attended the game, especially his mother, Judith, as Tom Elliot was her father. The Lions' jersey is precious in rugby circles, the number 10 shirt represents the pantheon. Barry John in New Zealand (1971), Phil Bennett in South Africa (1974), and a little closer to home, Jack Kyle, Tony Ward, Ollie Campbell, Ronan O'Gara and Johnny Sexton have all donned that shirt in a Test series. READ MORE Smith wore it lightly despite a troublesome opening to the game, targeted successfully in the air on a couple of occasions when defending on the wing, and also conceding a penalty that allowed the Pumas to record the first points of the game. A switch to fullback on Argentina ball negated that gambit. Despite the misadventures, the 22-year-old demonstrated a capacity to shrug off the missteps, remaining composed in his distribution, while hustling superbly on a couple of occasions to shore up defensive lapses, none more laudable that the way he chopped down Joaquin Oviedo that stopped the Argentinian number eight from escaping into the Lions backfield. Smith offered a ubiquitous presence in the opening 40-minutes, plenty to admire in his kicking, from tee and hand, even if it didn't always come off; a case in point his cross-kick for Jac Morgan brilliantly defended by Ignacio Mendy. The outhalf's passing was crisp and accurate, at odds with his team-mates as the Lions had two early tries chalked off for knocks-on. It's difficult to put shape on sloppiness, the Lions' handling at times was unsympathetic and fraught, symptomatic of a scratch side lacking composure and, as a result, cohesion. [ Lions left to rue missed chances as Argentina win in Dublin ] Smith's influence grew evermore positive, manifest in a basketball-style flick over the top over the top of the onrushing Mendy to get the ball to Bundee Aki for the Lions first try. It was no bagatelle to finish for the Irish centre, but without the sharpness of the two Smiths, Marcus and Fin, the chance would not have materialised. Fin Smith is seen in action as the Lions take on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty The Lions outhalf is a doughty competitor and tough to boot, shrugging off a heavy blow to the face that earned his side a penalty, and then a rib-tickling clatter from Argentina wing Rodrigo Isgró as Fin Smith plucked a high ball from the sky. His relationship with scrumhalf Alex Mitchell, superb in his time on the pitch, provided the Lions with good tempo, but more often than not a predilection for 30/70 offloads cost Andy Farrell's side several promising situations in attack. Yet throughout the travails the outhalf was diligent and unstinting in trying to prime his misfiring team. Trailing 21-10 – Argentina deserved that lead based on their ability to convert on turnover ball – Fin Smith was at the heart of the Lions post interval revival that saw them surge into a 24-21 lead only to be stuck down again an injudicious decision and a turnover upon which the Pumas capitalised superbly. The Lions couldn't get out of their own way when it came to the mistakes, increasingly ragged, weary and in truth desperate to a point where the outhalf was too often shorn of options in an attacking capacity and as a result resorted to kicking the ball long. Bruised and afflicted by cramp as the game entered its death rattle, he tried to cajole and marshal his team as they looked to rescue a victory, but that was beyond him and the team. The result, 24-28, will hurt the team and outhalf, but 70-years on Fin Smith may take a little solace from following in the boot prints of his grandfather with the promise of better days ahead.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Lions player ratings v Argentina: Ellis Genge produces tour de force but Van der Merwe struggles
The British and Irish Lions suffered a surprise 28-24 defeat by Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night ahead of their tour to Australia. Andy Farrell's side fly out this weekend with their first match Down Under against Western Force in Perth next Saturday and the first Test on July 19 in Brisbane. Here is Telegraph Sport 's analysis of who put their hand up early for a Test start and who took a step back. Give your opinion with our thumbs up/thumbs voting tool.
