Vexed Andy Farrell issues ‘unacceptable’ verdict on ‘suppressed’ Lions loss versus Argentina
Tadhg Beirne and Ellis Genge look dejected after the final whistle in Dublin
British and Irish Lions boss Andy Farrell has pulled no punches following Friday night’s deflating loss to Argentina in Dublin.
The Lions were hoping to secure a pre-tour departure home win at Aviva Stadium before flying out to Australia on Saturday ahead of a schedule that starts on June 28 against Western Force in Perth.
However, they failed to recover from Santiago Cordero’s blistering 58th-minute try, and another multiple of errors coming down the finishing straight left the Lions beaten 24-28.
Speaking in his post-game TV interview on Sky Sports as the Pumas wildly celebrated their 1888 Cup success, Farrell didn’t sugarcoat his frustrations with the loss. “It wasn’t exactly a show from us, it was a show from Argentina. First and foremost, congratulations to them, they thoroughly deserve their win,” he said.
“They capitalised on all the errors we made. But as far as we’re concerned, there is a lot to do. You cannot win any Test match with that error rate. We lost enough ball there for a full tour, let alone a match against a good side like Argentina.
“We need to be honest with ourselves…”
“We threw passes that were never on. It wasn’t just that, it was the aerial battle and the scraps on the floor. They were hungrier than us, that is just not acceptable. The lineout and breakdown work was off a bit at times.
“I’m disappointed. We need to be honest with ourselves, take the learning and improve, then at least it will stand for something.”
Asked to drill further into the disappointing level of performance, he added: “There was good and bad throughout, I wouldn’t single out individuals or combinations. We were just a bit tentative, and obviously I take responsibility for that.
“When we came out with a bit of fight at the start of the second half, it was more like it, but we just suppressed ourselves with the error count that carried on late into the second half. You don’t win Test matches when things like that happen.
“Where we’re at will certainly concentrate the minds. We’ll be honest with ourselves, we get on the plane to Australia (on Saturday).”
