British and Irish Lions player ratings: Ellis Genge ‘bullies’ Argentina but lineout woes and error in the ‘clutch’ proves ‘incredibly costly’
Following a thrilling encounter in Dublin, which saw Argentina clinch a historic 24-28 victory over the British and Irish Lions, here’s how we rated Andy Farrell’s men in defeat.
British and Irish Lions player ratings v Argentina
15 Marcus Smith: Some brilliant touches as he impressed from full-back in the double play-making axis. Many of the Lions‘ best attacking moments came when Smith and Sione Tuipulotu got their hands on the ball, while the Englishman was also calm at the back. 7
14 Tommy Freeman: An uncharacteristic error in the final 10 minutes shouldn’t overshadow a fine outing from the winger who tirelessly tore after the ball and competed well. He saw plenty of ball to and troubled the Pumas’ defence when he did. 7
13 Sione Tuipulotu: It’s hard to argue against him being the best-attacking weapon for the men in red today. When he carried to the line, he was brilliantly aggressive and when he played out the back it was deadly accurate. A full box of tricks and looks to be a nailed-on starter in Australia. 7
12 Bundee Aki: Enjoyed a great opening quarter alongside his new centre partner and smartly finished off the first Lions try of the year. There was a bit of a disconnect on defence, but that was not solely his doing. His ability to draw defenders in and play out the back is a real weapon for Farrell’s charges. 7
11 Duhan van der Merwe: Threatened whenever he got the ball in hand but lacked the finishing touches which could improve the more time he gets in the team. Chased and contested decently but was also found wanting on defence on occasion. A mixed bag. 6
10 Fin Smith: A mixed bag from the fly-half who linked up well with Marcus Smith in attack. He had a few handling errors and misplaced passes, but overall was solid. 6
Argentina stun British and Irish Lions in Dublin as Tomas Albornoz shines in historic win
9 Alex Mitchell: A strong Lions debut from the Northampton Saints and England star who kicked well during his shift and threw a wonder offload on his own line while under the pump. Kept the tempo of the Lions’ attack well. Made a good fist of his first shot in the jersey. 7
The forward pack
8 Ben Earl: Really grew into the game as it went on, particularly after a rather quiet first half. He started to dominate the gain-line and get the Lions’ attack on the front foot. 7
7 Jac Morgan: A slow start from the Welshman who was one of the Lions who grew into the game as it went on. He pilfered over the ball well in the latter stages of the half and impressed more with ball in hand. Replaced early in the second half for Henry Pollock. 5
6 Tom Curry: Aggressive in contact and scavenged well with the loose balls. The Lions managed to work into the lineout well as the game went on. A solid outing overall. 7
5 Tadhg Beirne: Ran a superb line to crash over the line and was up to his usual tricks around the park with a relentless work-rate. A perfect fit in the team. Let himself down with a poor penalty in the clutch moments that let Argentina off the hook and proved incredibly costly. 5
4 Maro Itoje (c): On the day that he captained the famous touring team for the first time, Itoje did not let his standards drop. Sure, his communication wasn’t quite perfect with referee James Doleman but he was sharp in every other facet of the game with the lineout woes more of a hooker issue. 7
3 Finlay Bealham: Not initially selected in the squad but boy it didn’t look like it as he really made the most of his opportunity. Bealham dominated at scrum time eke out regular penalties at the set-piece with the pressure he put Mayco Vivas under. He worked tirelessly on defence, topping the tackle in the first 40. 8
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie: Did brilliantly wiggle through the tackles of Joaquin Oviedo and Juan Martin González but split the ball with the line begging. His lineout throws were wayward which severely disrupted the Lions’ flow. He was part of an excellent scrummaging effort, though. 4
1 Ellis Genge: Bossed Joel Sclavi in the scrums and was aggressive as ever with the ball in hand making a scintillating break in the build-up to Beirne’s try. The rampaging baby rhino put in a statement performance that only strengthens his claim for a starting role in the Tests against the Wallabies. 8
Replacements: Farrell turned to his bench quite early in the second half, with Pollock one of the early introductions who really made his mark. The same is true for Ronan Kelleher, but there will be concerns about his throws, too. The props kept the pressure on the Pumas pack while Mack Hansen had some good touches, and so did Tomos Williams. But ultimately, the replacements needed to get the side over the line but didn’t. 6
