Argentina send Lions down under with 28-24 warm-up defeat

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Rugby Union - British & Irish Lions v Argentina - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - June 20, 2025 British & Irish Lions' Bundee Aki in action with Argentina's Justo Piccardo REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

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Rugby Union - British & Irish Lions v Argentina - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - June 20, 2025 British & Irish Lions' Ben Earl in action with Argentina's Pedro Rubiolo and Juan Martin Gonzalez REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

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Rugby Union - British & Irish Lions v Argentina - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - June 20, 2025 British & Irish Lions' Sione Tuipulotu in action with Argentina's Justo Piccardo REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

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Rugby Union - British & Irish Lions v Argentina - Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland - June 20, 2025 Argentina's Joaquin Oviedo in action with British & Irish Lions' Sione Tuipulotu REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

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UPDATED Jun 21, 2025, 05:52 AM

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DUBLIN - Argentina beat a stuttering British and Irish Lions for the first time ever on Friday with a 28-24 warm-up game victory at the Aviva Stadium that left coach Andy Farrell with plenty to do as his squad get ready to leave for Australia.

Just as they did when they last met in a 25-25 draw before the 2005 tour, the Pumas had the Lions on the ropes early thanks to tries from Ignacio Mendy and Tomas Albornoz either side of a Bundee Aki effort that gave them a deserved 21-10 halftime lead.

The Lions, playing without almost half of their panel due to recent club commitments and injury, were a different animal early in the second half and regained the lead after a penalty try and another home crowd score, this time for Tadhg Beirne.

But Santiago Cordero put Argentina back in front against the run of play with another great team try and the error-strewn Lions could not reply again to leave themselves five more games, all in Australia, to set things right before the first test against the Wallabies on July 19. REUTERS

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