British & Irish Lions 24–28 Argentina
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – The 1888 Cup
The British and Irish Lions suffered a deflating opening defeat in their first match under Andy Farrell, edged out 28–24 by a slick, confident Argentina side in front of a sold-out Aviva Stadium.
It was supposed to be a send-off — a celebration of a new era and a first-ever Lions fixture on Irish soil. Instead, it was the Pumas who stole the show, launching counter-attacks with venom and defending with steel to claim their first win over the Lions and hand Farrell an early reality check before the squad departs for Australia.
The match saw the Lions produce flashes of promise but ultimately fall short, with cohesion lacking and combinations still bedding in. Despite tries from Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne, and a penalty try courtesy of a dominant maul, it was Argentina — led brilliantly by fly-half Tomás Albornoz — who controlled the key moments and showed the sharper edge throughout.
Argentine Flair Shines Through
From the outset, the visitors looked sharper. Albornoz — the outstanding player on the night — opened the scoring with an early penalty, and minutes later had a hand in a flowing move that ended with Ignacio Mendy touching down after slick interplay with Carreras.
Albornoz added two more penalties before slicing through the Lions midfield to score a stunning solo try just before the break, capitalising on quick hands and defensive disarray to make it 21-10 at half-time.
By contrast, the Lions — experimental and understandably rusty — saw two first-half tries ruled out, including a close-range effort from Luke Cowan-Dickie and a cancelled score by Sione Tuipulotu. Only Aki managed to cross the whitewash in the opening 40, bulldozing over in typical fashion after sustained pressure.
Second-Half Surge Falls Just Short
The Lions finally found some fluency after the break. A powerful rolling maul earned a penalty try and a yellow card for Argentine prop Mayco Vivas, and moments later, a rampaging Ellis Genge burst broke the line to set up Beirne for a go-ahead score.
At 24-21, it felt as if the Lions might take control. But Argentina weren’t done. Replacement back Santiago Cordero pounced on a turnover sparked by Rodrigo Isgro’s aerial win over Duhan van der Merwe and scorched clear to retake the lead with a try out of nowhere.
Despite intense late pressure from the Lions, the Pumas held firm — surviving a tense closing spell to claim a famous scalp and leave the hosts to rue what might have been.
Teething Troubles and Talking Points
Farrell’s post-match inquest will begin on the long flight to Perth. This was a side missing several key players still tied up in domestic finals, and full of debutants — including young fly-half Fin Smith, who showed glimpses of composure but was outshone by Albornoz in the key areas.
The midfield pairing of Aki and Tuipulotu, dubbed the “southern hemisphere centre partnership” by Wallaby boss Joe Schmidt in a not-so-innocent jibe, looked powerful in bursts but didn’t fully click. That comment — and its echo of Lions mind-game lore — is unlikely to go away quietly, especially given the result.
If there was one comfort for Lions fans, it’s this: poor starts don’t always spell disaster. Just ask the 1971 side — dubbed “hopeless” after their chaotic tour opener in Queensland, they went on to become legends. And the annals of Lions history are littered with failed mind games, overzealous pundits, and opponents talking themselves up only to fall short when it mattered most.
But make no mistake: Farrell’s Lions will need to sharpen up fast. The Wallabies and Joe Schmidt — both masters of the mental and tactical game — will be waiting.
Next up: Western Force in Perth, 28 June. The tour starts now.
