Genge was powerful in the scrum and in the loose. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
By a significant margin the most impressive Lion on the field, England loosehead Genge demolished Pumas tighthead Joel Sclavi in the scrum, winning at least two penalties on his side.
Genge was destructive in the loose, too, and carried his power well into the second half, which is among chief competitor Andrew Porter’s primary selling points.
The 30-year-old Bristol Bear was exploited for one Argentinian line-break — but that’s going to happen to props. He conjured one of his own, which was a lung-burster up the middle deep into the Pumas’ 22′, which eventually yielded a try for Tadhg Furlong.
Porter, unavailable at the Aviva this evening having featured for Leinster in last weekend’s URC final success, will be champing at the bit to lay his own claim to the no.1 jersey in the coming weeks. But the Lions are well stocked regardless of who starts and who brings the pain from the bench.
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Finlay Bealham
Connacht and Ireland tighthead Finlay Bealham. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
A shorter-notice Lion, Connacht great Bealham also did a number on his opposite number in the Argentinian scrum, Mayco Vivas, directly winning one penalty and contributing to a couple more.
The 51-cap Ireland international might not have been the attacking force that Genge became in the loose, but he put in a savage defensive shift, exhibiting an area of his game in which he has become excellent in both shades of green in recent seasons.
The reality is that Bealham is still likely third in Farrell’s pecking order at tighthead behind Tadhg Furlong and Will Stuart, two exceptional scrummagers in their own right. But were either man to suffer injury, Bealham would be a genuine contributor to a Lions Test against his native country.
The centre pairing
Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu might well have spent the last 12 months throwing darts at effigies of the other. Andy Farrell’s two primary contenders for the Test inside centre berth found themselves this week partnering in midfield, with Aki at 12 and Tuipulotu at 13.
Earlier in the week, Farrell tasked his squad with choosing one player with whom they had been impressed during the Lions’ first couple of weeks in camp. Aki chose his Scottish counterpart, and the duo gelled nicely at times during tonight’s defeat to Los Pumas.
Aki’s close-range finish was textbook as the 35-year-old rode the attempted challenges of three Argentinians to dot down. Tuipulotu, 28, might be the more physically dynamic of the two at this stage of their respective careers and he enjoyed several flashes of explosive brilliance.
What may inhibit them as a Test pairing is that Tuipulotu doesn’t quite possess the longer-range distribution skills of the likes of Huw Jones or Garry Ringrose — albeit it’s not necessarily a huge strength of theirs either. But there were occasions when his passing, particularly wide to Duhan van der Merwe, was a fraction off.
Still, we know Farrell enjoys a physically formidable centre pairing where available, and he’ll have enjoyed how Aki and Tuipulotu gelled at close quarters in their first outing together.
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The few Lions players who enhanced their chances of Test inclusion in Australia
Ellis Genge
By a significant margin the most impressive Lion on the field, England loosehead Genge demolished Pumas tighthead Joel Sclavi in the scrum, winning at least two penalties on his side.
Genge was destructive in the loose, too, and carried his power well into the second half, which is among chief competitor Andrew Porter’s primary selling points.
The 30-year-old Bristol Bear was exploited for one Argentinian line-break — but that’s going to happen to props. He conjured one of his own, which was a lung-burster up the middle deep into the Pumas’ 22′, which eventually yielded a try for Tadhg Furlong.
Porter, unavailable at the Aviva this evening having featured for Leinster in last weekend’s URC final success, will be champing at the bit to lay his own claim to the no.1 jersey in the coming weeks. But the Lions are well stocked regardless of who starts and who brings the pain from the bench.
Finlay Bealham
A shorter-notice Lion, Connacht great Bealham also did a number on his opposite number in the Argentinian scrum, Mayco Vivas, directly winning one penalty and contributing to a couple more.
The 51-cap Ireland international might not have been the attacking force that Genge became in the loose, but he put in a savage defensive shift, exhibiting an area of his game in which he has become excellent in both shades of green in recent seasons.
The reality is that Bealham is still likely third in Farrell’s pecking order at tighthead behind Tadhg Furlong and Will Stuart, two exceptional scrummagers in their own right. But were either man to suffer injury, Bealham would be a genuine contributor to a Lions Test against his native country.
The centre pairing
Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu might well have spent the last 12 months throwing darts at effigies of the other. Andy Farrell’s two primary contenders for the Test inside centre berth found themselves this week partnering in midfield, with Aki at 12 and Tuipulotu at 13.
Earlier in the week, Farrell tasked his squad with choosing one player with whom they had been impressed during the Lions’ first couple of weeks in camp. Aki chose his Scottish counterpart, and the duo gelled nicely at times during tonight’s defeat to Los Pumas.
Aki’s close-range finish was textbook as the 35-year-old rode the attempted challenges of three Argentinians to dot down. Tuipulotu, 28, might be the more physically dynamic of the two at this stage of their respective careers and he enjoyed several flashes of explosive brilliance.
What may inhibit them as a Test pairing is that Tuipulotu doesn’t quite possess the longer-range distribution skills of the likes of Huw Jones or Garry Ringrose — albeit it’s not necessarily a huge strength of theirs either. But there were occasions when his passing, particularly wide to Duhan van der Merwe, was a fraction off.
Still, we know Farrell enjoys a physically formidable centre pairing where available, and he’ll have enjoyed how Aki and Tuipulotu gelled at close quarters in their first outing together.
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Lions slim pickings