Argentina sparkle in Dublin

Last night saw The British Lions take on Argentina at The Aviva Stadium, Dublin and what an occasion it was!

A sea of red

From being in the Guinness Storehouse in the morning through Temple Bar and the city to in and around The Aviva, Dublin was a sea of red. It really was a great atmosphere in the city in the build up to this one.

The game

Argentina are no mugs these days and some of the rugby they played last night was delightful and appreciated by the crowd in what was more of a festival atmosphere than a test match one. Argentina played with passion and pride as you'd expect and took home a 24-28 victory against a Lions side that at times looked understandably disjointed.

Who impressed for the Lions?

Ellis Genge was immense at scrum time and had a couple of good runs in open play, he was my pick. Beirne and Tuipulotu looked good and worked hard. Tommy Freeman and Van Der Merwe looked good with the ball in hand at times but Van Der Merwe's inability to deal with an aerial threat last night could be telling in weeks to come.

Freezing on the big stage

Anyone who has watched Northampton or England will know that Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith are much better than what they showed last night. I felt Mitchell's kicking game was too long and didn't mean that anyone could put the catcher under pressure. Another one I feel for is Marcus Smith, he's had a difficult few months having being dropped by England from fly half but he has still found his way to a Lions tour. Full back isn't his primary position and at times last night it showed.

Places up for grabs

The half backs are concerning me slightly, things did improve a bit when Tomos Williams came on last night. He injected some pace into the game and his kicks became contestable. Most people have Gibson-Park nailed on to start at scrum half but if he is injured it starts to raise questions. Fin Smith didn't take his chance at fly half last night and there's a concern over Russell's place kicking especially in big games.

The half backs are going to be key out in Australia to running the game and there's going to be a need for improvement there.

Hooker was another one last night Cowan-Dickie and Kelleher didn't look convincing especially with their lineout throwing. Again, Dan Sheehan looks to be a nailed on starter but beyond that closing out games could be a concern.

The Henry Pollock factor

Two things were noticeable when the teams were read out in the stadium last night, the Irish players got a big ovation which was to be expected. The next two were Pierre Schoeman due to his chant and Henry Pollock. There was some definite appreciation for him in the Dublin crowd, possibly off the back of his Champions Cup semi final performance against Leinster. He didn't have his best game last night but there is a player there who is so marketable in the current climate.

The disappointment

Firstly, fair play to Argentina they were there signing stuff and taking selfies with the crowd afterwards well after the game had ended. I think the Lions missed a trick on two occasions last night. Firstly, on arrival I'd liked to have seen them get off the bus and walk the last bit into the stadium to soak in some of the atmosphere. Secondly, after the game they did their lap and were into the changing rooms, the interaction was very limited. It was disappointing to see and in complete contrast with Argentina, they missed an opportunity to connect with the crowd and could've made some memories especially for the younger fans.

The public love the Lions

As I've said Dublin was a sea of red yesterday and the public love the Lions and everything about it. I know a few years ago there was concerns but hopefully these are put to bed now and in four years time there can be another game on home soil before heading out.

Argentina make their case

By beating the Lions last night, do Argentina make a case that in the modern game they could host a Lions tour or be part of it in South America? I know France might have something to say about that and it's very unlikely to happen. More of a possibility could be Argentina playing a game against the Lions on the weekend before a first test on a future tour.

Overall thoughts

I'm not too disappointed with the Lions last night as I think there's a lot more growth in this team and players are to come in who will make a huge difference. I enjoyed the occasion and being around Dublin in a sea of red was class. Hopefully in four years time there'll be another home fixture before departure and I'll be there!

#Th