It's time for Lions to hunt change
The Rugby Paper|December 10, 2023
THE British and Irish Lions will face Argentina in Dublin before embarking upon their 2025 tour to Australia in a repeat of the Cardiff-based 2005 fixture but, from Argentina’s perspective, things could not be more different.
JOE SANTAMARIA
It's time for Lions to hunt change

Since that 25-25 draw in Cardiff – when a lastgasp Jonny Wilkinson penalty spared the Lions’ blushes at the Millennium Stadium – Argentina have reached three World Cup semi-finals, joined the Rugby Championship and beaten every major nation they have faced.

In short, they are no longer content to be the warm-up act for another nation’s party.

Should the respective sporting fortunes of the Australian and Argentinian sides continue along the trajectory of recent times, how long will it be before the Wallabies become the warm-up act?

Such talk may well have seemed blasphemous a decade ago when Australia’s status in the game appeared unshakable and Argentina were still establishing themselves at rugby’s top table.

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