British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell has taken responsibility for the Lions’ unexpected defeat to Argentina in their opening match, but stated that some of what he witnessed was unacceptable.
The renowned team suffered a 28-24 loss in Dublin as a series of crucial handling mistakes and missed tackles allowed the Pumas to capitalise and secure a historic victory. Despite some positives, the Lions appeared like a team that had never played together before.
Trailing 21-10 at half-time, Farrell’s squad went on to play their most effective rugby, but they were unable to overcome the stubborn fifth-ranked team in the world at a packed Aviva Stadium.
A penalty try and a touchdown by Tadhg Beirne paved the way for a potential victory, but Argentina’s ruthless counter-attacks led Santiago Cordero to score the decisive try in the 59th minute. The full report can be read here.
This marks the Pumas’ only victory in the rivals’ eight encounters and the first time the Lions have lost their tour opener since 1971.
The Lions demonstrated a willingness to attack, which is a promising sign ahead of their arrival Down Under, but their precision did not live up to their ambition and they were frequently guilty of overplaying.
In a candid interview with Sky Sports, Farrell reflected on England’s performance, saying: “It was a show from Argentina. Congrats, they deserved the win and capitalised on all the errors we made.
“There is a lot to do. You can’t win a Test with that error rate. We lost enough balls in that game for a full tour, throwing balls that weren’t on.
“But it wasn’t just that. The aerial battle and the scraps on the floor, they were hungrier than us and that is just not acceptable.
“I’m disappointed. We need to be honest with ourselves and take the learnings from that. If we take the learnings from that at least we will stand for something.
“There was good and bad throughout. We were just a little bit off, I take responsibility for that.”
Looking forward, Farrell remained optimistic: “I hope we are better off for that. We will keep building for the Test matches.”