Learning From The Lions: Argentina

The Lions tour is one of the biggest events in the rugby calendar, and we were treated to an enthralling encounter in Dublin against the Pumas. Argentina became the first team to beat the Lions in an opening game since 1971, but the game held promise for the Lions. We can already see the building blocks behind their attack shape. While we also saw how Andy Farrell’s deliberate squad construction is laying the foundation for the launch plays, which may become a staple over the series. However, it will still go down as a defeat for the Lions. One of the driving reasons is Argentina’s ability to control chaos. Join me as we delve into the details from Dublin.

Goodman’s Plan For Greatness

One of the main themes within the game was the Lions’ introduction of their attacking structure. As expected, there is a heavy Irish theme to the attack, with Andrew Goodman joining the staff from the IRFU. This attack from the 7th minute gave a good indication of his plans.

Beginning from a goal line restart, Ben Earl drove in-field to create a midfield ruck. This split the Argentine defence and gave a target for the retreating forwards. A trio of England colleagues followed Earl into the contact and secured the ball. This gave the remaining Lions a chance to find their shape. 

From the midfield ruck, we see two traits beginning to develop. First, the expansive style they want to adopt, as the Lions formed a four-man “super” pod. One interesting part of this shape is the use of Bundee Aki in the middle of the pod. This shows the role Goodman wants his midfield to play, acting as additional backrowers. Instead, the responsibility for organising these shapes is dependent on a 10/15 axis, which provided a dual playmaking threat.

Having shifted the ball to an edge, the Lions fell into their 3-2-1-1 shape, which provided plenty of different options to influence the defence. It is also noticeable how tightly these shapes are run. The Lions are clearly emphasising their forwards’ ability to play tight, compacting the defence to create possibilities out wide. 

Another facet of the attack was an emphasis on the back line’s high work rate to steal numbers. Tommy Freeman is a great example in this clip, holding his width on the paint on the 2nd phase before he inspected the ruck. Once the Saints winger realised he was not needed at the ruck, he began racing to add extra numbers. He positioned himself outside Bundee Aki before collecting the offload from Cowan-Dickie. This work rate is epitomised as he gets a second involvement collecting an offload from Duhan van der Merwe to take the Lions to 10 metres from the Argentine line.

In this second example, we can see the Lions again made use of a 3-2-1-1 structure. A 3-man pod crashed up before the Lions, then used a tight combination of backs and forwards in the midfield. Again, the forwards sat in two tight pods, contracting the Pumas’ defence. This left the 15-metre channel unmarked, giving Freeman a chance to make a dent.

The Oasis Tribute “Park-Life”

Another staple of the Lions’ attack against Argentina was their use of the scrum half to attack the short side. This seems a role tailor-made for Jamison Gibson-Park. However, both Alex Mitchell and Tomos Williams proved incredibly adaptable. Bouncing out from the breakdown to fire wider passes on the edge. A useful weapon aiming to catch the defence narrow or flat-footed. 

The first example sees the Lions dragged into touch, but it underlined their intent. We can also see it forced the Argentine defence into a passive approach, and the opportunities a change of angle could create.

This change of angle is what makes Tommy Freeman’s break possible. When Tomos Williams scooted from the breakdown, it drew Argentine eyes. This meant that Freeman had the element of surprise. This, combined with Argentina not advancing square in defence, gave Freeman the soft shoulder to target and break the line. 

These patterns are a useful weapon for the Lions to hold the Australian short side. While tailor-made for Jamison Gibson-Park, the other scrum halves proved more than capable of throwing these punches against the Pumas. 

Why Size Matters

Another tactical trend showed the thinking behind Andy Farrell’s squad selection. One of the standout omissions was Darcy Graham. However, the Lions’ launch plays from Friday night gave a partial explanation. Of the four out-and-out wingers on tour, Duhan van der Merwe, James Lowe, Mack Hansen and Tommy Freeman, each is at least 6 feet tall. And while Freeman is the lightest, he weighs in at a sizeable 89 kilograms. This points to a Lions’ selection criteria for wingers, which was partially based on their first-phase roles.

The first example comes from a right-hand side scrum. Freeman, hidden inside Fly Half Finn Smith, created a tight shape with Bundee Aki angling in. This drags the Argentina midfield tighter and allows Freeman to force the 13 into contact. This compressed the defence and gave the Lions front-foot ball. 

The Lions’ launch combination was exhibited again in the 29th minute. The Lions launched from a 61 lineout with Cowan-Dickie wrapping around and collecting the ball from Jac Morgan. This enabled him to target Julian Montoya. This left the Argentine hooker unable to cover the run of Aki. In turn, this dragged in the first Argentine defender, creating a 1-on-1 contact for Tommy Freeman. 

While the ball goes to the ground following the offload, it shows the foundations the Lions are trying to establish. The need to quickly create an identity has clearly driven the squad selection, with big wingers poised to be a key part of their launch approach. The Wallabies will be preparing for these styles of launch, perhaps allowing the Lions to unleash a double bluff during the first test.

Argentina: Creating Structure From Chaos

As the final score illustrated, the Lions didn’t have it all their own way in Dublin. A large driver of this was Argentina’s utilisation of a kick-to-contest approach. Recent years have seen teams adopt a more contest-driven approach in the kicking game. A trend which has been exacerbated since changes to the escort laws in November 2024. 

The kick contest is naturally chaotic. These situations can create a more even game by increasing the role of luck as a differentiator between sides. This has seen a change in how teams approach the kick contest.

By looking at the World Cup final, we can see how contests were treated before the rule change.

In the first example, New Zealand use a pre-planned lineout move to win the ball back. The kick was well judged by Aaron Smith and allowed Telea to fight through the escort to win the ball. However, while the kick is planned, New Zealand don’t settle into a natural structure when the ball is won back. Instead, Aaron Smith scans both sides before hitting the short side and making the most of the transition platform. 

This points to a loose policy rather than a pre-determined tactical structure. A similar theme emerges in the clip below. 

Again, New Zealand regained a kick. While the ball wasn’t clean, they looked to shift the ball to space. The Springboks profit from the chaos, and Etzebeth delivers a crunching hit.

This passage underlines the chaos following a regained kick. If we compare this with the Argentine approach, we can see how structure is being imposed on the disorder. 

The Pumas used a cross-field bomb to create a 1 v 1 aerial battle against a retreating opponent. This shifted the chance of a successful contest in the Argentine favour. Kicking across the field introduces additional disarray due to the kick being directed to an area containing just backs. However, we still see Argentina’s aim to impose control.

The ball was won back, and although the Lions disrupted the ruck, we can see how Argentina began to establish a shape which enabled their wider attacks. At the first opportunity, they organised into a layered shape with 3 forwards and a back in the boot. This points to their intent to shift the ball early. The shape invited the Lions’ pressure while creating a series of 2 v 1 exercises from which the Pumas can prosper. 

The small details behind this tactic are clear in this second clip. The winger sits a yard behind the main chase line to give additional acceleration space, allowing him to lead the charge. Behind this are a well-connected group of chasers who form a net to contest for scraps or to resource the first breakdown. 

Juan Martin Gonzålez was the first to profit from the loose ball. The openside flanker snaffled the ball before he made a few hard yards, and forced the Lions’ defence on to the back foot. This fight in contact also gives Argentina time to establish its structure. 

With the additional time, Argentina were able to form a 4-man super pod. This was designed to tighten the defence and force the wider defensive forwards into decisions, in this case, Tom Curry. This stopped the Sale Shark from pushing beyond the Fly Half, meaning that Morgan,  Tuipolotu and Aki are left on the far edge defending an overlap. This allowed Argentina to force the Lions’ defence passive while an offload kept their momentum flowing.

This final example was the driving force behind Argentina’s winning try. It starts from another box kick, aiming to create a contest. The winger again started slightly behind the chase line, allowing him to accelerate and hunt the ball. The remaining chase formed a net before securing the ruck.

The ruck gave Argentina a chance to form into their super pod shape. The clean catch tightened the Lions’ defence with 9 players inside the 4th man of the pod. Tom Curry did notice a lack of action in the Argentine pod, allowing him to bring the pressure and stop Argentina playing wider. However, after a couple of missed tackles, the Pumas profited. An offload continued the attack, and they flooded through to take advantage. It was a wonderful try to secure the victory, illustrating how Argentina aimed to control the chaos.

Positives For Perth

The Lions will have been licking their wounds following this defeat in the enthralling encounter with Argentina. But there were plenty of positives for the Lions, even though they left opportunities on the field. Most pleasing for the coaching staff will be the clear signs of an identity being formed. Whether it is the use of imposing wingers on the first phase, or the compact high ball movement forward pods, which can challenge defensive decision-making. There are plenty of positives to take down under.