Bundee Aki opens up on ‘the frustrating thing’ of playing with ‘unbelievable’ Sione Tuipulotu in Lions’ loss to Argentina
British and Irish Lions centres Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki.
British and Irish Lions centre Bundee Aki has urged the famous touring side to make a swift recovery after they already failed in their goal of completing an unbeaten tour in 2025.
The Lions kicked off their campaign on a negative note as they suffered a 28-24 defeat against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday.
Lions lose tour opener for the first time since 1971
Los Pumas were full value for their victory as they outscored Andy Farrell’s troops by three tries to two, and their defeat was their first Lions loss in a tour opener since 1971.
After their setback, the Lions departed for Australia, where their first match will be against the Western Force on Saturday, and Aki said they can ill afford another loss while Down Under.
“Faz set out the aim for us to win every single game. To not be able to come out with the result that we wanted in the first game…this has got to be one of those things that we learn from quickly,” said the 35-year-old Ireland and Connacht star.
“We’re adults, we’re old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly.
“Faz gives it to us straight, there’s no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is.
“There’s no point in trying to sulk about it.
“If we bounce back quickly and try to get better every single day, this will only make us stronger and tighter.”
One of the big talking points in the build-up to the clash against Argentina was Aki’s heavyweight centre partnership with Scotland and Glasgow Warriors ace Sione Tuipulotu.
Although there were flashes of brilliance from both players, they failed to get the better of Argentina’s midfield duo of Justo Piccardo and Lucio Cinti, and the common consensus after the match was that Aki and Tuipulotu are unlikely to be used as the Lions’ starting centres in their three-Test series against the Wallabies.
“We all know how Sione is as a player, he’s class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn’t able to connect well with him,” said Aki.
“He’s an unbelievable player, and there’s no excuses; we’ve got to get better as a partnership going forward.
“Sione has been my roomy lately. He snores a fair bit at the moment, so he keeps me up at night! But he’s a great man.
“He speaks out loud, which is good because we need him to be himself. I just feed off him, and he feeds off me. So it’s brilliant, but we’ve just got to be better and keep learning together.”
Meanwhile, Farrell has demanded an improved effort when the Lions take on the Force in Perth on Saturday.
“We won’t sugar-coat this. We need to be honest because if we’re not honest, how do we gain trust with each other?” he said.
“Losing hurts, especially in this jersey. We need to find the solutions pretty quickly and be honest with ourselves because some good has to come from this.”
