News article – Style E 4609

Reflecting on Monday night’s 25-25 draw with under-strength Argentina, Ireland flyer Geordan Murphy admitted that while it was “a difficult game”, it was a fair result for the below-par Lions.

The 27-year-old Murphy, who played the full 88 minutes at the Millennium Stadium, was one of few players to impress on a jittery opening night for the 2005 British and Irish Lions.

The Leicester Tigers full-back-cum-wing was always looking for ball in attack and notably did well under a high ball in the opening minutes. But the Lions, on a whole, were off-the-boil as a series of knock-ons, turnovers and overrun attacks blighted their play.

“It was disappointing because we didn’t really play the way we wanted to. Granted we only had three or four sessions together, but we still had a gameplan. The Argentineans spoiled it and didn’t let us play,” said Murphy, who is rooming on tour with Wales scrum-half Gareth Cooper.

“We turned over a lot of ball in the contact area – they were excellent at poaching in midfield. There was nothing we could do about it. We were trying to do things through three or four phases but only got through one or two.

On occasions when we got a little bit of loose ball or were in open space we looked dangerous. But on the whole they shut us down at source. They concentrated on winning penalties and the rolling maul,” added the Kildare man.

But maybe we got a little bit ahead of ourselves. We should have concentrated on winning the ball. It’s difficult because it’s a new team but we controlled the game in the last 20 minutes. In the end I think a draw was probably a fair result.”

Murphy, who was only facing the Pumas for the second time in his five-year international career after meeting them last November in Dublin, knows more game-time for the Lions will soon see them into their stride.

“It was a tough game overall. Starting off against an international side isn’t easy and the Pumas’ pack was big and physical. Their backs were very strong as well.

“A couple more games and we should begin to gel. We fought back and that was a positive. No one wanted to lay down and accept a defeat. We got back to a position where we could have won it.”