"We’ve got to own the moments”- Tom Curry demands accountability after Lions’ defeat to Argentina

Reflecting on a match that saw the Lions fail to capitalise on a string of promising opportunities, Curry said the biggest issue was their lack of ruthlessness with ball in hand.

“There is quite a lot [to take out of it],” he began. “The biggest point is we need to be more clinical with the ball. The exciting thing is we have got people in the position, people are running, people are there, but f***, we can’t score points if we are dropping it and giving it away that easily. That comes first and foremost.”

Much has been made of the challenges in forging combinations within the short prparation time ahead of a Lions tour, but Curry was quick to dismiss any suggestion that teething problems could be used as a shield for poor execution.

“I’ve been on these things before [South Africa, 2021] and you can wait until Monday before you say this stuff. But [then], you can get to the sixth week and still make the same excuse. Six weeks is not a long time so we can’t make that excuse the whole way through.

"We nipped that in the bud straight away. That is not a reason. We need to take personal responsibility for our own performances and how excited we get on the ball.”

What frustrated the Sale man the most, was that the Lions put themselves in the right areas of the pitch and had momentum — but squandered it with unforced errors against Los Pumas. “That is the really annoying thing,” he said. “Because on the flip side it’s really exciting, we do have our hands on the ball and are in great spots. But come on, we need to take personal responsibility when we have it.”

Asked whether Argentina simply showed more fight, Curry wasn’t interested in making comparisons. “We just need to be better,” he said flatly. “There should never be a reason. We just need to step up.”

That same theme echoed throughout his reflections — moments missed, chances gone, and a collective failure to deliver under pressure. The final line-out, overthrown by Ronan Kelleher following a miss-communication between hooker and jumper, fumbled a golden chance in the dying stages. When the game hung in the balance in the 75th minute, such an outcome was particularly telling.

“Yeah, it is an opportunity gone,” Curry admitted. “Look at that set piece at the end — there is a moment gone. We let the ball go and that is a moment gone. As an individual that is okay, but as a collective you let big moments like that go and that is what you get.”

Despite the disappointment, Curry did find encouragement in the structure and support beginning to emerge within the latest group of British & Irish Lions. “We were in the spots, that is the best bit,” he said. “But you’ve got to respect the ball a lot more. The best is we were there, we were supporting each other. The cohesion is definitely there slash building. There are things to work on, but the foundations are definitely there.”

He also praised Argentina’s pressure, acknowledging how their intensity unsettled the Lions. “Skillsets under pressure in the big moments — we have got to take responsibility for that. I’m speaking a lot about us but credit to Argentina, they came off the line and were very passionate. They definitely won the small moments, and when those things add up, you get that scoreline.”

Curry's back row partnership with Jac Morgan offered a glimpse of what could come, with the England man encouraged by how he and his Welsh counterpart combined in both attack and defence.

“It was good,” he said. “There were still moments when we probably need to be around the ball a bit more. But there were moments when I managed to link with Jac, which was really exciting and I really enjoyed that. I still think one of us can stay around the ball a bit more, but that will come — you get that intuition and feel. We need to build that way quicker. It was a good start.”

Curry believes that the frustration being felt within the squad is a necessary — even positive — reaction. “It can only be a good thing,” he said. “We can’t do anything about it now, we just have to crack on and use it. I’ve been in these situations before and we’ve got to pull tighter, it’s the only way.

"I feel like this group has taken so many steps off the field. I’ve not got a bad word to say about anyone. Everyone has been pulling in the right direction, especially the lads who came in this week. So when something goes against us, we’ve got to keep our chests up and crack on with each other.

"We have to have the tough conversations. I’m not going to say it’s going to be a party. We don’t need that. But we’ve got to pull tight and hit the ground running when it comes to training.”

With a week before their next fixture, Curry insisted there’s no time to wallow. “There is no point dwelling on it or crying about it. We’ve just got to take it on the chin and move on."

As one of the senior voices in the squad, Curry is fully aware of the responsibility that comes with the Lions jersey, and how quickly time passes on a short tour. “We have to be honest. We can’t take it too personally. This is the thing with this sport and this tour, it comes and goes so quickly. You’ve got to make the most of it.

"Every meeting and every session. Before you know it we’ll be playing in Australia, so we can’t let moments pass us by. We’ve got to fully take it on the chin, have tough conversations, but also do as we say. We can’t just keep saying it and not doing it.”

Despite the result, Curry is clearly relishing the experience. “It’s sick,” he said, grinning. “It’s nice being in Dublin and people aren’t booing you. I think that’s a cool thing. You’ve got Irish, Welsh and Scottish supporting you. You’ve got to earn everyone’s respect. And you do that with tough performances. Today, we were probably off. It’s so cool, such a big difference from 2021. To experience it is really cool, but we need to give them something to cheer about.”

Ultimately, it’s those big moments, the turnovers, the line-outs, the pressured passes, that the Lions must learn to own. Curry has made it crystal clear: the time to start doing that is now.