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Don’t say the British and Irish Lions weren’t warned. Just ask their 2005 counterparts, ask the 2006 England team, ask France what it was like playing them at a home World Cup.
Aki (18'), Penalty Try (45'), Beirne (52')
Tries
Mendy (11'), Albornoz (40'), Cordero (58')
Smith (19', 53')
Conversions
Albornoz (41', 59')
Smith (9')
Penalties
Albornoz (4', 25', 39')
Don’t say the British and Irish Lions weren’t warned. Just ask their 2005 counterparts, ask the 2006 England team, ask France what it was like playing them at a home World Cup.
Now ask the 2025 British and Irish Lions, the latest side to lose to Los Pumas, a side with a perennial chip on its shoulder, and a team who loves to play the party pooper.
This time, with a sunny Dublin summer sky overhead, the idea was they would roll over late on after putting up early resistance against Andy Farrell’s Lions to help wish them good speed on their way to Australia.
That’s not what happened.
Farrell’s class of 2025 faced a hugely determined side, one that flung itself into the tackle and mauls, one who clogged up the outside centre channel, and one who was guided with aplomb by Tomas Albornoz.
STRONG START
The match was a tour de force for the Benetton player, who scored a try, and knocked over two conversions and three penalties.
It started well with Fin Smith scoring the opening points with a penalty, and after Luke Cowan-Dickie had a try chalked off, Los Pumas hit back quickly.
After two miss moves the ball ended up with Benetton wing Ignacio Mendy who cut off the left wing to score the first try of the 2025 Australia tour. It was too simple.
Still, the Lions responded well. Sione Tuipulotu had a try ruled out for a double knock on, but as the Lions increased their pressure Bundee Aki showed poise and calm to straighten the line, bump a couple of defenders and score.
The score seemed to settle the Lions and Tommy Freeman began to come into his own on the right wing, with passes going to hand and continuity the name of the game.
Better still Finlay Bealham was holding his own at tighthead prop and he helped force penalties from Los Pumas at the scrum.
TOUR DE FORCE
Albornoz knocked over two penalties to put his side 14-11 ahead, and then turned the screw as halftime drew close.
Saracens’ Juan Martin Gonzalez swooped onto loose Lions play at a ruck, the ball swiftly changed hands and Albornoz raced home to put his side fully in control at the break.
After halftime, the Lions came out in determined mood, but too often balls went to deck, and play was being built far too far behind the gain line.
Still, they closed the gap with a penalty try after Mayco Vivas pulled down a rolling maul, and Tadhg Beirne then put the Lions ahead with a finish after he hit a strong line.
They couldn’t hold out though and after Duhan van der Merwe was exposed again, Santiago Cordero won a race to score in the corner.
The Lions huffed and puffed. Their lineout had fallen apart, while backline moves weren’t finished off after breaking Los Pumas’ line.
Losing means that Farrell will have much to ponder on his way down under. Argentina have shown where the fault lines are, can he fix them before the first test?
British & Irish Lions Starting XV (1-15) Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Maro Itoje, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith, Duhan van der Merwe, Bundee Aki, Sione Tuipulotu, Tommy Freeman, Marcus Smith
British & Irish Lions Replacements (16-23) Ronan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Elliot Daly, Mack Hansen
Argentina Starting XV (1-15) Mayco Vivas, Julian Montoya, Joel Sclavi, Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo, Gonzalo Garcia, Tomas Albornoz, Ignacio Mendy, Justo Piccardo, Lucio Cinti, Rodrigo Isgro, Santiago Carreras
Argentina Replacements (16-23) Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger, Francisco Coria, Santiago Grondona, Joaquin Moro, Simon Benitez Cruz, Matias Moroni, Santiago Cordero
