The Lions Vs Argentina

Lions v Argentina | Tour Warm Up Game | 23 June 2025

The British and Irish Lions officially kicked off their tour with a narrow loss to Argentina on sunbathed Friday evening at Croke Park. It was the first loss by a Lions side in a warmup game since 1971 against an Argentina side short of some of its star players. In this blog we’ll look at what this means for the tour, team selection and players over the next few weeks.

The Game

With a backdrop of red shirts on a warm Friday evening this was the perfect way to kick off the tour. Argentina played their part, attacking from multiple points around the field, taking advantage of the Lion’s lack of cohesion and game control. Farrell had asked before the game for the players to express themselves and this is what they attempted to do, with mixed results.

The Forwards

Farrell can be happy with the dominance at the scrum and less happy with the impact of his back row. The social media bromance between Bealham and Genge translated to both props dominating at the scrum and through ball carrying. This looks like it could be the starting test pair.

As for the rest of the forwards...there’s a bit of work to do. Cowan-Dickie will need to improve his throwing at the lineout. Expect Sheehan to come back for the first game in Australia and take that test spot. The second rows of Beirne and Itoje were industrious as always, but it felt like they played within themselves. Cummings' introduction demonstrated the power and size the Lions can call on off the bench.

It’s the back row where Farrell has most to think about. Picking the three most dynamic back rowers across the four nations looked great on paper. But Jac Morgan couldn’t assert himself. He doesn’t have to carry this team, but this appeared to dampen his performance. The pack was crying out for a Jack Conan on Friday. His recent form, his directness and leadership was needed. Argentina kept the back row quiet, impacting game control and dynamism. The fact that both Freeman and Aki topped the charts for dominant tackles demonstrates the back row never got on top, despite winning more turnovers. This bodes well, but you’d expect your back rowers to top these stats.

The Backs

As the Kinks said ‘Give the People What They Want’ and we got that with an Aki and Tuipulotu centre pairing. These two aren’t just wrecking balls and will always give a team an attacking presence. But this pairing, while fun, may not be the best way forward. While the Lions dominated territory and possession, it never felt they were in control, partly due to Argentina’s ability to counterattack at speed. Two out and out steam trains may have led the team to overplay in crucial areas.

This was not the pair’s fault, but this opens the door for Finn Russell and another centre. Russell showed in the Premiership final that he can control a game, even on the back foot. Finn Smith did little wrong, but at times could have opted for simpler decisions.

Huw Jones is back fit and Garry Ringrose will be available. Pairing these with either Aki or Tuipulotu provides a more balanced midfield. Jones is a strike runner, while Ringrose brings defensive balance. Elliott Daly made a positive impact off the bench. He will be in every test squad as the most experienced and reliable back.

Williams made an impact while Mitchell is a safe pair of hands. The real worry is the back three. Freeman had an off day and can be forgiven. But question marks remain around VDM’s aerial ability. James Lowe provides more balance. He can kick tactically, break tackles and wind up opposition players. Safer under the high ball than VDM, I expect him to start at least the first test.

The Marcus Smith/Full Back Problem

Of all positions, full back is where Farrell potentially has the biggest issues. With Kinghorn and Keenan still unavailable, Marcus Smith provides another option. Except it has never really worked. The logic makes sense – an auxiliary playmaker – but Smith lacks the discipline to play full back. He has great multidirectional speed, but his straight-line speed lets him down.

In attack, this lack of pace makes him easier to read. His defensive positioning is also exposed. He was stood in no man’s land for Argentina’s first try, and slow to cover for the third. This isn’t fair on Smith. He is – unfortunately – the third choice fly half and would do well to learn from Russell.

Tactics

Farrell wants to play attacking rugby. However, attacking for entertainment’s sake cannot be the approach. We saw rehearsed moves from the backs which didn’t come off, with Freeman effectively given a role to find space. This was rewarded in line breaks but punished by turnovers. Daly’s introduction provided more control, with Tuipulotu moving to 12. To play this way, the Lions need another full back who will pick their moments. Keenan provides this.

The Irish Pod system could be seen in full effect, particularly in the second half where Williams hit Genge before hitting Beirne to score. This pod was flat, giving defenders a lot to think about. This will be effective against Australia, especially with Jack Conan as a runner. The rolling maul was not seen much due to lineout malfunction.

Defensively, the shape looked good, but individual tackling was lacking. Too many tackles were missed or fell off after contact. And while Argentina missed more, the Lions were punished more harshly. Beirne and Curry were two of the biggest culprits. I suspect that when Farrell called the performance ‘unacceptable’ he meant this.

Coach Watch

Farrell cut a frustrated figure. Although he had a smaller contingent to work with, pre-match he looked confident. He’ll be disappointed by some performances as will the players who have limited time to impress. Coming back from an 11-point deficit shows real grit needed on a tour like this, but Farrell's standards will dictate they should never have been in that position in the first place.

Verdict

The cohesion needed to win will come. But too many players fell off tackles, didn’t execute basics or made the wrong decisions. This game could be seen as meaningless, but with Leinster, Leicester and Bath players ready, Farrell needs to find a solution for the back three and back row quickly.