DUBLIN (AP) — First, the good news for the British and Irish Lions: They didn’t appear to suffer any tour-ending injuries against Argentina on Friday.
The bad news: They lost to Argentina 28-24 in the warmup to their nine-game tour of Australia.
The result, humbling for now, will be regarded as a minor setback, maybe even an inspiration, if the Lions go on and win the three-test series against the Wallabies.
The Lions led the Pumas for only 12 minutes in the entire match and had two prime attacking chances in the last four minutes. But their lineout maul was stopped in its tracks, then a Lions penalty in front of the posts was overturned due to a neck roll by Tadhg Beirne.
Despite a training camp in Portugal that was meant to help cement combinations, and nine English starters, the Lions still looked less cohesive and determined than Argentina, which was missing a dozen front-liners and had only two proper training runs.
The Pumas beat the Lions for the first time in a history between them that goes back to 1910. They also warmed up the 2005 Lions in Cardiff, and suffered heartbreak when Jonny Wilkinson landed a penalty in the 87th minute for a 25-25 draw.
No draw this time. The Pumas were ruthless with their chances, and matched the Lions with three tries. Two tries from inside their own 22 were the game’s highlights.
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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
The Associated Press
