"No moping about, no sulking” - Fin Smith is rallying to fight again after Lions defeat to Argentina

But a frustrating 25-21 defeat would follow to a valiant Pumas side, with the Lions attack riddled with errors and missed opportunities. It's no wonder that Smith was so visibly downcast after the final whistle, as his idyllic start to life as a Lion did not commence on the right foot.

"Gutted, pretty deflated. Probably not how I saw my first Lions cap going,” Smith admitted. “I’m sure once I take the emotion out of it, the sun will come up tomorrow and we’ll review it. Hopefully we can take stuff out of it, but yeah, incredibly disappointing.”

While the Lions showed glimpses of promise in attack – with Smith orchestrating several fluid passages – they repeatedly failed to convert pressure into points. Forced offloads, loose handling, and breakdown turnovers allowed Argentina to stay in the contest and eventually steal the win.

“It felt like we created a lot and made some opportunities, but we just didn’t look after the ball,” Smith said. “The amount of times I felt we made half-breaks but then threw poor offloads meant we just couldn’t keep pressure on them. A lot to get better at. But that was potentially what was expected.”

Smith’s words reflect a wider concern in the Lions camp: time is not on their side. With five fixtures in four weeks providing a rapid fire tune-up for the tourists, each match against the Super Rugby and invitational opponents now carries additional room for upset. Saturday’s clash with the Western Force now carries greater weight, and for Smith personally, the stakes are even higher.

His starting spot is under immediate threat, with Finn Russell — fresh off a Premiership title with Bath — now available after completing his mandatory rest period. The Scotsman watched on as a travelling reserve for the Lions opening defeat to Argentina, with Smith pulling the strings for the entire duration. When asked about the team’s performance, Smith didn’t sugar-coat the harsh reality of the situation.

“We don’t feel too far away, but I might watch that back and it will feel miles away,” he said. “We’re not where we need to be, which is the main thing.”

Despite the disappointment, Smith still found a moment to appreciate the milestone — albeit briefly. A Lions cap is a rare honour, and for Smith, it carries added weight. His grandfather, Tom Elliot [Lion #380], was a Lion in 1955. On Saturday, Smith continued the family legacy.

“Running out, I did acknowledge it was a cool moment for my career,” he reflected. “And I’m sure I’ll go upstairs now and see my family and my girlfriend and it will feel more of a celebration than I’m feeling now. But you know what it’s like — we’re all competitive and we all want to win first and foremost more than anything. I’d definitely say I’m not feeling too overwhelmed with joy at the minute.”

Even in defeat, the sense of occasion hasn’t been lost on the young playmaker.

“To be honest, it’s been everything I expected and more,” Smith said of the Lions experience. “With the scale of it, it really does feel like the pinnacle day to day. It feels incredibly special. It’s everything I could have imagined and more.”

Smith was one of several Northampton Saints players in the matchday squad — a small comfort in an otherwise frustrating evening. The fly half looked around at his brothers from Franklin's Gardens, to snatch a glimpse of green, black and gold underneath the sea of red. Henry Pollock, Tommy Freeman and Alex Mitchell all grabbed their Lions debut alongside Smith, in what was a poignant moment for the Saints quartet.

“We all stood together as Argentina sang their anthem and we had the odd look at each other in the changing room,” he said. “It was nice to have them there, but it’s just annoying it ended as it did.”

Still, Smith is determined to channel his frustration into fuel. With Western Force looming and Russell breathing down his neck, there's no room for self-pity. That message has already been echoed internally. Head coach Andy Farrell, who has been clear about maintaining high standards, has laid down the law: no sulking, no wasted time.

“I’m sure it’s not the first time the Lions have not played particularly well in their first outing,” he said. “The main thing is how quickly we can respond and how quickly we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We need to get back on the training pitch and get better as quickly as possible.”

“Faz [Andy Farrell] has already said that — no moping about, no sulking,” Smith revealed. “We need to get back on the horse straight away and have conversations that are going to make us better. That’s definitely the aim.”

Whether Smith gets another crack in Perth remains to be seen. With competition heating up and the countdown to the Test series ticking fast, the next few days could prove pivotal, for the Lions, and for the young fly-half fight to keep his dream alive.