"Weak link" - Four Lions players who flopped against Argentina in tour opener

RUCK’s Lions content is powered by ISUZU.

Farrell’s debut as Lions boss ended in disappointment as his side looked off the pace and out of ideas against a slick Pumas outfit who ran in three cracking tries through Ignacio Mendy, Tomas Albornoz, and Santiago Cordero.

Mendy and the electric Albornoz struck either side of Bundee Aki’s score to give the South Americans a healthy 21-10 lead at the break.

A second-half surge saw the Lions claw back into it with a penalty try and Tadhg Beirne’s effort putting them right in the mix. But Cordero’s blistering counter-attack sealed the deal with 22 minutes to go.

The Lions huffed and puffed in the dying stages, desperate to snatch a win before heading Down Under, but Argentina dug deep to hold them out and seal a famous first-ever win over the tourists.

It’s a nightmare start for Farrell, and the first time the Lions have lost a tour opener since 1971. They now fly out to Australia on Saturday, where Western Force await in Perth on 28 June.

Planet Rugby 4/10: "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."

Rugby Pass 5/10: "A fumble cost him the opening try of the 2025 Lions series off a Lions catch and drive. A few too many lineout howlers from the Cornishman, his Bluetooth connection with Itoje looking a tad unstable."

Flo Rugby 5.5/10: "Started the fixture strong and got through plenty of work with 12 tackles, 9 carries and a turnover. Unlike his top-line performances, he could never quite find that key impact moment, which would disappoint him."

JOE 5/10: "An error-strewn performance. Dropped the ball over the line in the first half."

Rugby Pass 5/10: "A mixed bag from big Dewie. A couple of promising inside cuts opened his account, but the defensive ring rust was there to see, having very little recent rugby under his belt.

"Got beaten with an Ignacio Mendy inside step for Los Pumas’ opening five-pointer and was somewhat at fault for Los Pumas’ score just before halftime. Always drew defensive attention and made plenty of metres after contact."

JOE 5.5: "Made an awesome break in the first half, but from then on pretty much nothing went right for the Scot. Looked very dodgy, weak in the air, and a prime target to attack."

Telegraph 5/10: "Understandably rusty in his first game for almost three months. Finished the first period by losing possession, leading to a Pumas try, and was quiet in the second. Had started promisingly, stepping off his left to carve open the Pumas."

Flo Rugby 4/10: "Outside of a few early runs, the Scottish winger had a tough first outing. His defensive position exposed the Lions' backfield. In the air, he couldn’t quite get to grips with the high ball,s whilst his one-on-one tackling left a lot to be desired."

BALLS 5/10: "Superb line break, on six minutes, but missed a pass that would have put Mitchell away. Costly error after he was tackled led to Argentina try before the break. Not great under the high ball. An iffy game."

The Irish Times 5/10: "He was a mixed bag in the first half, hitting rucks and a great one-handed pass to Tommy Freeman early on. Was an early threat but was turned over going forward for the Albornoz try before half-time."

BALLS 5/10: "Hefty tackle, close to his own line, shut down try-scoring opportunity for Argentina. Some bright moments but too many were followed by errors. His decision to pressure Tomas Albornoz back-fired when he and Pollock were easily evaded and Argentina counter-attacked to score. Shelled an easy Furlong pass."

Flo Rugby 5.5/10: "Started the fixture strong and got through plenty of work with 12 tackles, 9 carries and a turnover. Unlike his top-line performances, he could never quite find that key impact moment, which would disappoint him."

Rugby Pass 5/10: "Scrappy enough for the Harlequin. Opened his 2025 Lions’ account with a poor kick chase and miss tackle and didn’t look terribly comfortable in the air either.

"Saw a bit of ball but was proved a limited counter-attacking threat. Didn’t force the game but did his best to remain involved from the back. Overall, an evening to forget."

The Irish Times 5/10: "Scrambled well for a kicked through ball at the end of the first halfbut wasn’t always solid under the high kicks. Caught out of position and didn’t read the threat when Santiago Cordero scored his second-half try."

Flo Rugby 5/10: "A truly frustrating evening for the England playmaker, who was ultra busy, had some flashes of pure brilliance, but was ultimately brutally exposed by the Pumas' kicking game. Unable to compete consistently in the air and getting caught out of position in the backfield highlighted why flyhalf remains his best position.

"The challenge for him will be whether he can work his way onto the bench as the back-up ten or even challenge for the starting position. With both Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan in the squad, it is tough to envisage Smith getting the nod in the 15 shirt against a potent Wallabies kicking game."

Balls 510: "Missed Albornoz in the lead-up to the Cordero try."

Flo Rugby: "Hyping himself and his teammates up as he came off the bench, the electric young backrow did not have the impact he hoped for. Missing a key tackle as Los Pumas raced away was a big black mark on his evening. On the positive side of things, he had a nice carry on the left-hand side of the pitch, which made some good yards. he was always looking for work and was clearly well-marked by Los Pumas, thus opening a bit of space for those around him."

Rugby Pass 5/10: "Looked pumped on the sidelines but struggled to deliver any highlight reel stuff on this occasion. Active around the breakdown and certainly showed no signs of being overawed on Lions debut."

Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.

Let’s see if you can nail this quiz and prove you’re a true rugby expert. Ready? Let’s go!