British and Irish Lions: Lessons to learn as Argentina condemn Andy Farrell’s squad to defeat in tour opener | Rugby Union News

The British and Irish lions will head towards their tour in Australia in the back of a defeat, but what will they learn from their defeat against Argentina and that can it help them win a series?

The Andy Farrell team was beaten 28-24 by Argentina in front of an Aviva stadium with closed counters, where they overthrew a deficit of 11 points at the start of the second half before not to be failed against the Pumas.

A penalty test and the score of Tadhg Beirne after the break created a path to the victory for the Lions, but the ruthless counterattack of Argentina swept Santiago Cordero for the winning test of the match in the 59th minute.

The hosts were unable to decompose their obstinate opponents during closing stadiums, assuring Pumas a famous victory – their first in eight attempts at the Lions – and seeing the lions lose their first round for the first time since 1971.

What did the lions do well? Where can they improve before Australia? Sky sports experts Owen Farrell, Sam Warburton, John Barclay and Will Greenwood decompose some of the main discussion points of an exciting test match …

‘Hell a lot to learn for lions’

The former half-voltage of the Farrell Lions was not too concerned about defeat, stressing how precious he was for his successors to obtain a competition match under their belt so early in the tour.

“A large part of the game was played in the good parts of the field”, Farrell said to Sky Sports. “Obviously, many balls have not stayed and there will be many images they will look back and learn.

“Argentina has done very well when they had the opportunity, whether it was a ball on the ground or a turnover, they seemed to transform things quickly.

“I am sure that the Lions Boys will be frustrated, but the main thing is that they have played a great competition game and have images to go to see what is the norm and what it is not.

“They will learn a lot, they will learn a lot about others, they will learn a lot as a team, and that will put them in good place for next week.”

Warburton, whose two series as captain of the Lions presented opening matches against the Barbarians in 2013 and the New Zealand provincial barbarians in 2017, was categorical, the mission of Stern Argentina would have advantages on the line.

“This match is so much better – no lack of respect for matches in the past – than playing an invitation team where you earn 50 points,” he said.

“Lions will learn so much more from this game. Yes, disappointing, because they wanted to take the momentum very early, but what test. You can dissect this now, learn and continue.”

Argentina … The heating match of the toughest lions of all time?

Los Pumas was more up to his invoicing as a fifth best world team, presenting a sensational flair attacking when they gave the Lions an in -depth evaluation.

“In the past 12 months, apart from Ireland, they have all defeated them and it is the caliber of this Argentine team,” said Triple Lion Greenwood. “Their rear row was exceptional and all – to a man – were exceptional.”

Warburton added: “Lions will be better for this [losing] But we must first congratulate Argentina. They were so good.

“Their defensive set at the end of the match – under extreme fatigue – was excellent.

Where should Lions improve?

The Lions have shown a lot of intention to attack, but were on occasions recognized as guilty of overexploitation, possession being lost on several occasions of alignment and another area where an improvement will be necessary.

“Alignments are repairable,” said former Scottish captain Barclay. “I think it is undoubtedly one of the most difficult parts of the game to assemble. Everyone is moving slightly differently and a little poor functioning makes you get the ball. This is where frustration comes from alignment – without being able to apply the pressure through it.

“I think that cohesion by forcing discharge charges and, as Andy Farrell mentioned, some of them were not on. I think it became a little contagious as the game took place where they entered and always looked.

“You want to be a team that understands when the ball is on and when it is off. I think it will come and that the alignment will come and there are a lot of good parts, but I think that test rugby is to apply the pressure.

“If your line line does not work and you get beat in the aerial game, then you get discharges and drop the ball, it is very difficult to continue to apply this pressure.”

How will Lions react? ‘We must learn quickly’

The Lions go to Australia before their warm -up match against Western Force next Saturday, live on Sky Sports, with the Bundee Aki center – which marked the opening against Argentina – admitting that they were not clinical enough during their defeat.

“We do not excuse; Argentina is a good bloody hold”, Aki said to Sky Sports. “They punished us when we were not clinics. Every turnover we have made, they marked every occasion.

“We rebounded in the second half, Andy Farrell reminded us at halftime when it meant being a lion – when it becomes difficult, you have to push it to another level. In some parts of the game, we have done it, in others, we did not do it. Argentina did it.

“This shows where we are in a group, we can only improve from here. We know the challenge in front of us, none of the nine games will be easy, so we have to withdraw learning, but we have to learn quickly.”

What is the next step for Lions?

Sky Sports will exclusively show the tour of the British and Irish lions in 2025 in Australia, with the three tests against the Wallabies and six warm -up matches to show exclusively live.

The lions warm -up games begin against the Western force in Perth on June 28 before other matches against Queensland Reds in Brisbane (July 2), Waratahs in Sydney (July 5), the Brumbies of Canberra (July 9), an Australian invitation and on July 22) in Adelaide (July 12) and Rebell in Melbourne (July 22).

This match will take place after the opening test in Brisbane on July 19, with the second test at MCG in Melbourne on July 26 and the final test of the Accor stadium in Sydney on August 2. Distribute the British and Irish lions without contract