Aki insists Lions can 'learn quickly' and rebound from Argie upset  

FIRED UP: Bundee Aki of British & Irish Lions during the Lions 1888 Cup match between the British & Irish Lions and Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Bundee Aki has no doubt that the British and Irish Lions will “bounce back” from Friday's disappointing opening night defeat to Argentina in Dublin.

Andy Farrell’s side fell the wrong side of a 28-24 scoreline at the Aviva Stadium on the back of a performance that was, in the head coach’s own words, clunky in parts and one where errors were compounded by errors.

The entire touring party had held a party line of no excuses before that first game. It was one reiterated after the final whistle and before they boarded flights on Saturday that will get them going towards their next destination in Western Australia.

"We've just got to learn quickly as a group,” said Aki who scored the Lions’ first try of this 2025 chapter. “There's no better players in Europe than this group here that can learn quickly from things that were played out tonight on the pitch.

"You can feel the frustration and deflation of the boys in the changing room. But look, we'll just take it on the chin, whatever the coaches are throwing at us. We'll move on, learn and bounce back against another great outfit in the Western Force.” 

Due credit was given to the Pumas who scored some electric tries in Ballsbridge. Farrell made particular note of the fight and hunger that the South Americans displayed as they won the lion’s share of scrappy ball in the air and on the ground.

This being the Lions, there were no shortage of hot takes as soon as the dust settled on a balmy summer night in the Irish capital with a roll call of former players positing that a first-up defeat against opposition of that calibre might be no bad thing.

Argentina are certainly the toughest side that the tourists will face before they open the Test series against the Wallabies. It may even be that the Pumas are the best team they will face in their ten matches total, even with so many of their men still on Top 14 duties.

The Lions boss won’t see it that way. Yes, defeats teach more lessons than victories but the renowned Man of Steel isn’t in the business of stomaching too many reversals and he made plain the need for improvements after this one.

"Yeah. You know Faz, I'm sure you guys see Faz, and he's exactly the same in front of you guys as he is with us. He gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is," added Aki.

"We're adults, we're old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly. There's no point in trying to sulk about it. You've got to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly as a group.” 

One of the most anticipated subplots ahead of the Pumas game was Aki’s partnership in the centre with Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu. The pair have been rooming together the last week and bring a cocktail of brawn, brain and skill to that midfield area.

There were patches of promise from the two as individuals and as a pair but the overall result wasn’t as explosive as hoped for and Aki himself was willing to admit as much after the 59 minutes spent together in the same unit. 

“We all know how Sione is as a player, he's bloody class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him. He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuse," added the Connacht man.

“We've got to get better as a partnership going forward and whoever it is, Garry [Ringrose], Huw [Jones], Elliot [Daly]. As a unit we've got to make sure we gel together and try get that cohesiveness fairly quick because we need to be better.” 

Disappointing as aspects of the performance and the end result were, this still made for a sumptuous occasion at the Aviva Stadium as a panoply of red jerseys covered a stadium that radiates green on the field and in the stands.

"It's unbelievable, it's honestly unbelievable. I don't think the fans fully understand how much it means to us. As a group of players, to be able to walk out onto that pitch and see a sea of red is something phenomenal out there.

"I genuinely got goosebumps when I ran outside and saw the sea of red out there. It's unbelievable, it's actually unreal compared to what we had the last time [in South Africa in 2021 during Covid], which was no fans.”