‘No excuses’ says Lions coach Andy Farrell after loss to Argentina

British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell during the warm-up before the match. PHOTO: REUTERS

UPDATED Jun 21, 2025, 11:08 AM

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DUBLIN – Coach Andy Farrell had hoped for a tough game against Argentina before the British and Irish Lions boarded their flight for Australia, and said his still gelling squad had no excuses after getting more than they bargained for in a 28-24 defeat.

“We made it a tough game,” a forthright Farrell said when asked if he got the kind of stern test he wanted and that the group’s limited time together was no kind of mitigating factor.

“I wouldn’t give that excuse. We need to be better than that. They’re Lions players.”

While he said he was pleased with the Lions’ aggressive scrummaging, the list of areas to improve was long – a “clunky” attack, breakdown, misfiring lineout, kicking game, throwing balls blindly away and battles in the air and on the ground.

“It’s too much, it’s too much when it all comes together... The whole story of the game is that we compounded too many errors and in the end we weren’t able to put the pace on the game that we wanted to because of that,” Farrell added.

“We need to be honest because if we’re not honest, how do we gain trust with each other so we have to say it as it is. There were certain things that we said we were going to do and we need to own that.

“Losing hurts, especially in this jersey so we need to find the solutions pretty quickly.”

Farrell had said he expected the Lions to have a fully fit squad in the next week with Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan and Huw Jones working their way back to fitness, and at least appeared to come away unscathed on June 20.

“Health wise we seem to have come away okay,” he said.

Centre Bundee Aki, one of the Lions’ try scorers who said he was disappointed in his own performance and not connecting better with new centre partner Sione Tuipulotu, said Farrell had been just as forthright in the changing room.

“He gives it to us straight, there’s no mucking around and we’re old enough to take it on the chin. Faz (Farrell) set out a challenge for us to win every game and we’ve just got to learn quickly,” the Irish No. 12 said.

Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi, meanwhile, knew just how special and potentially unique the victory was, having gone agonisingly close as a player two decades ago.

Contepomi was captain when the sides last met before the Lions’ 2005 tour of New Zealand.

That game ended in a 25-25 draw, and the latest contest was just Argentina’s second shot at the Lions in almost a century.

“Coming here 20 years later I think it’s incredible. We don’t know if we’ll ever again be invited and definitely for everyone who’s been involved this week it will be memorable,” he said.

“It is special. I know how special it is for an Irish, a Scottish, a Welsh or an English player to be a Lion, and for us to play against the best of the best in these islands, it’s nearly a dream.” REUTERS, AFP

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