Bundee Aki: Lions must 'bounce back quickly' after defeat by Pumas
Bundee Aki insists the British and Irish Lions must recover rapidly after seeing their goal of completing an unbeaten tour thwarted even before arriving in Australia.
The Lions slipped to a 28-24 defeat against Argentina in Dublin as they lost their tour opener for the first time since 1971, albeit against dangerous opponents whose surgical finishing demonstrated why they are ranked fifth in the world.
Andy Farrell's men fly to Perth on Saturday and have four weeks to find the improvements needed to turn their ambitious but error-strewn performance into a formula capable of toppling the Wallabies.
"Faz set out the aim for us to win every single game. To not be able to come out with the result that we wanted in the first game…this has got to be one of those things that we learn from quickly," Aki said.
"We're adults, we're old enough to be able to take it on the chin and move on quickly. Faz gives it to us straight, there's no mucking around or no hiding here, he just tells you how it is.
"There's no point in trying to sulk about it. If we bounce back quickly and try to get better every single day, this will only make us stronger and tighter."
Aki's heavyweight centre partnership with Sione Tuipulotu generated the most excitement in selection ahead of the sold-out clash at Aviva Stadium, but the combination failed to add up to the sum of its parts.
While the Ireland centre showed his strength as a carrier to surge over in the first half and Tuipulotu had his moments with the ball in hand, together they were unable to link in the way the Lions were seeking and are unlikely to be used in tandem in the Test series.
"We all know how Sione (above) is as a player, he's class. The frustrating thing for me was I wasn't able to connect well with him," Aki said.
"He's an unbelievable player and there's no excuses, we've got to get better as a partnership going forward.
"Whoever plays – Garry Ringrose, Huw Jones, Elliot Daly – as a unit we've got to make sure we gel together and try to get that cohesiveness fairly quickly because we need to be better.
"Sione has been my roomy lately. He snores a fair bit at the moment, so he keeps me up at night! But he's a great man.
"He speaks out loud, which is good because we need him to be himself. I just feed off him and he feeds off me. So it's brilliant, but we've just got to be better and keep learning together."
Aki, fly-half Fin Smith, prop Ellis Genge and wing Tommy Freeman were among those to advance their claims for a spot against Australia in the first Test on 19 July, while Duhan van der Merwe and Ben Earl took a step backwards.
Aki admits that when they arise, chances to impress selectors during the 10-fixture itinerary must be taken.
"When there's a group of 38 players from four different countries, you've obviously got to make sure you perform," he said.
"Every single player that's been picked in the squad has to be able to do a job and if you don't deliver, there are guys who are willing to put their hand up and take that opportunity."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Moment furious Jack Draper breaks advertising board after smashing racquet in shocking Queen's meltdown
JACK DRAPER broke the electronic advertising hoardings as he smashed his racquet... and crashed out of Queen's. The British No1 was desperate to book his place in the final in West London. Advertisement 9 Jack Draper broke the advertising hoarding at Queen's Credit: BBC Sport 9 The electric panel cut out Credit: BBC Sport 9 Draper's own sponsor Dunlop was showing at the time of his outburst Credit: Getty 9 His racquet frame cracked and mangled Credit: Getty 9 Draper appeared to hurt his hand and knee in the incident Credit: PA But he came up just short against Czech ace Jiri Lehecka, losing an agonising semi-final 6-4 4-6 7-5. And The world No6 - who will be And as Draper ran across the back of the Advertisement Careful not to damage the manicured lawn, the Sutton star whacked his Dunlop racquet into the electronic board at the side of the court. But as he did so, the screen - ironically showing a red-and-white advert for his own sponsors Dunlop - crackled and then cut out. The top part of the hoarding also came away. But it appeared the damage was not limited to the screen. Advertisement Most read in Tennis CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Because Draper also cracked right through his frame to break his racquet, sending his shock absorber flying. And it appeared he may have hurt himself too as he checked his hand and hobbled gingerly to his chair for the changeover with blood on his knee. He's very lucky' - Tennis star's racket almost flies into Queen's Club spectator in shocking scenes Draper was given a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct by umpire Adel Nour - having earlier escaped punishment for blasting a ball in anger - to go with his time violation warning. Advertisement BBC Sport commentator Andrew Cotter said: "Again, the anger shows which you understand. "That racquet has seen better days. He's done a bit of damage and maybe damage to his hand. "Adel Nour had no option at all. Yes, you understand it, this is a big, big event for Draper." After digging a fresh racquet out of his bag, the former US Open semi-finalist could not get the all-important immediate break back as Lehecka served out the win and book his place in the final. Advertisement But tennis fans on social media were disappointed with Draper's furious outburst. Tennis stars' new careers PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring. But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best… I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up I'm last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I'm singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts I'm former world No1 but quit aged 29 - instead I went on to play professional poker and golf I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist One said: "Striking the hard-to-maintain grass court in front of your home fans and your knee like a psycho after losing a point, you will never make me like Jack Draper." Another wrote: "Some weak umpiring meant Draper didn't get a warning when he fired a ball earlier. Furious at getting broken at 5-5 in the third he goes after the ad board signage and… breaks it." A third added: "Lehecka breaks and Draper smashes the billboard… hefty fine coming for the Brit." Advertisement A fourth commented: "Kids will be watching and follow his abysmal behaviour, just like And a final user wrote: "Pathetic from Draper. Misses a shot and smashes his racquet into the advertising board. Can't stand that sort of behaviour." It is not the first time Draper has destroyed a racquet in recent times. Read more on the Irish Sun Advertisement But he will be hoping he can channel his concentration into a deep run at 9 Draper was broken at 5-5 in the third set Credit: BBC Sport 9 His frustration boiled over as he crashed out in the semis Credit: BBC Sport 9 Draper tossed away the mangled frame a the changeover Credit: Getty Advertisement 9 Blood was spotted on his knee following the racquet smash Credit: BBC Sport Wimbledon ditching line judges a double fault for British tennis By THE absence of line judges at Wimbledon will be a sad sight. For as long as I can remember, the men and women decked out in their Ralph Lauren outfits have been part of the furniture at the All England Club. Yes, they provided some mild entertainment on the court when one would call "fault" with plenty of extra, and unnecessary, gusto and volume that boomed around Centre Court, prompting a snigger from the fans. Then there was the ongoing game of dodgeball they had to play when a big serve nailed a mammoth ace down the line and they had to take rapid evasive action or take a whack to the top of the head. And challenges provided some audience participation, excitedly joining in the clapping countdown before the inevitable "oooh" when the graphic showed just how close the ball was to landing in or out. Purely objectively, Wimbledon's decision to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live makes total sense. The accuracy and consistency of calls in real-time will speed things up, save time and should mark the end of arguments over the tight incorrect calls - well, until the technology malfunctions. And Wimbledon's hand was somewhat forced to ditch tradition for their standing in tennis. The Australian Open and US Open already use electronic line calling and the ATP Tour is adopting Hawk-Eye Live across all of its tournaments from 2025. Wimbledon's refusal to comply would leave them lagging behind and exposed to the threat of needless controversy over human error. But the impact - as is so often the case in these decisions - has ramifications further down, below the surface with very little impact on Wimbledon's Championships or the players. It is on the line judges themselves. Approximately 300 officials - aged from 18 to 80 - covered more than 650 matches at Wimbledon. A fraction travel internationally with the circuit but the vast majority of those are part-time line judges based in the UK, earning up to £180 per day to work at the prestigious tournament and their chance to play their part at Wimbledon. For many, they will help out at British tournaments throughout the year, spurred on by the possibility of taking to the lawns of the All England Club. But it is understood many of those officials would be reluctant to work at the lower-level tournaments without the carrot of Wimbledon dangling in the summer. That in turn will put a major stumbling block in the pathway for British tennis umpires, who grind up through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Like football with referees, tennis needs umpires and line judges. So the inability to call "out" at Wimbledon could prove to be a major "fault" for the future of the UK's tennis officials and therefore the state of the sport on these shores.
The Irish Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Ian McLauchlan dead at 83: Lions legend dies as tributes pour in for ‘almost indestructible' star
FORMER British and Irish Lions legend Ian McLauchlan has died at the age of 83. The former Scotland captain represented his country 43 times as well as playing for the Lions on eight occasions. 1 Ian McLauchlan has passed away aged 83 Credit: Hulton Archive - Getty Scottish rugby confirmed McLauchlan's passing in a statement that revealed the legend died on Friday. McLauchlan didn't just captain Scotland during his playing days, but also acted as the SRU President from 2010-2012 before stepping away from the board in 2019. The Tarbolton-born prop earned his first cap for Scotland back in 1969 at Twickenham. MORE TO FOLLOW... READ MORE IN RUGBY THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video . Like us on Facebook at
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
International cycling tour to raise awareness for COPD reaches Galway
Ireland's former professional cycling champion Sean Kelly and Italy's Claudio Chiappucci are in Galway for the last leg of an international tour to raise awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Over 400,000 people are affected by the respiratory condition in Ireland. The cyclists joined Frenchman Philippe Poncet, who led the final stage of the tour with a portable oxygen device. From the Claddagh area in Galway City to Letterfrack in Conemara - this is no ordinary bike ride. It is a long and challenging 85km for elite cyclists. However, the man leading the team, Mr Poncet, is quite possibly the only COPD patient capable of cycling these distances. He is a world record holder for cycling speeds despite being diagnosed with stage 4 COPD in 2008. Mr Poncet needs oxygen 24/7 as his lungs operate at only 30% capacity. He will be stopping off along the route to replenish supplies. He said: "At this level, people don't look very well because many are dying or at the hospital or just in the armchair, right? "So this is an obstruction and destruction of the respiratory system. "So it's like you're underwater, and you try to breathe. It's not possible. But I want to raise awareness of the condition and help people who live with this disease. "To be able to cycle in the mountains is my greatest pleasure. It's what pushes me to move beyond COPD physically and mentally." Mr Poncet's remarkable story prompted former Irish champion cyclist Sean Kelly to support the COPD awareness campaign He said: "Well, it's hard to believe. Philippe is an amazing man. When they told me you know, how it'll worked, that somebody would accompany him on an 85km cycle through Conemara with his oxygen tank beside him. "It's just an amazing achievement to be able to do that. So yeah, that's part of the reason why I'm here, just to get involved and highlight COPD and give other sufferers encouragement and hope." COPD is the name given to a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is the third leading cause of death globally and affects more than 400,000 people in Ireland. Mr Poncet was supported on his journey with respiratory assistance. Two pulmonary professors, Sean Gaine and Michael McWeeney also cycled with him. Mr Gaine said: "Philippe is a remarkable man. He has very advanced COPD, and he's going to cycle today on oxygen, about 15 litres of oxygen per minute, so it's a huge endeavor. "It's difficult and it's fraught as well. But he's done this before to highlight that even if you have a chronic disease, you can you can do more because exercise is an important part of the treatment plan. "So if you're well, you need exercise. But if you're not well, exercise is important as well. You can do enormous things to keep your resilience and keep you strong." Professor McWeeney agrees, saying: "It's so motivational for him to be doing this. It's inspirational for the rest of us, even those that are healthy because this is a significant event, and for him to do it with the limitation that he feels every minute, it's wonderful for patients to see that it's possible for them to get out and be able to do something like this. "I mean the benefits they get from the perspective of their lungs and the rehabilitation that it offers is huge, and it's great to see it showcased here in the Galway." The COPD Tour is endorsed by the UCI World Cycling Centre and supported by Cycling Ireland. President of Cycling Ireland Ciaran Cannon said: "It's a really strong message, that we should all listen to. He has proven conclusively that you can exercise through your illness, and that exercise actually has a therapeutic benefit accruing to you, while you are ill. "This is the message we consistently give to our 26,000 members of cycling Ireland, across the country. "Exercise is for all ages. Exercise is a hugely preventative measure that one can take to avoid becoming ill later in life. So it's a therapy. It's free. "All it requires is that you pick up your bike on a Saturday morning or Sunday morning and you head off with a few friends. Do 10 kilometers, do 100 kilometers. That's up to you. "But all of that brings you a benefit throughout life and I suppose that that's the real message that Philippe is giving us here today."
