British and Irish Lions suffer 28-24 defeat to Argentina in Dublin

The British and Irish Lions suffered a surprising 28-24 defeat to Argentina in their opening 2025 Test match in Dublin, ending their hopes of an unbeaten tour before even traveling to Australia. Despite scoring three tries through Bundee Aki, a penalty try, and Tadhg Beirne, the Lions were outplayed by a hungry Argentine side who led 21-10 at halftime and held on after a late Lions comeback. Coach Andy Farrell expressed frustration with his team's lack of intensity and acknowledged the loss as a learning opportunity, especially given that the Lions were missing several key players due to club commitments and injuries. Argentina's Tomas Albornoz, Ignacio Mendy, and Santiago Cordero each scored tries, with Albornoz contributing 18 points overall. The Lions' performance showed moments of cohesion and attacking flair but was marred by disallowed tries and defensive lapses. Farrell now faces the challenge of regrouping and selecting his squad ahead of the upcoming three-Test series against Australia, beginning with a match against Western Force in Perth next Saturday.