Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi.Ben Brady/INPHO Freelos pumas '20 years later, it's incredible' - Contepomi revels in iconic Argentina victory over Lions The Pumas boss, who featured when the sides last met in 2005, praised his players for sealing their place in Argentinian rugby lore. 9.26am, 21 Jun 2025 Share options THE IMMEDIATE WAVE of emotion that pervaded Felipe Contepomi’s Argentina players as the ball was hoofed into the East Stand of the Aviva Stadium told its own story. All 23 Pumas knew they had become legends in their nation’s proud rugby lore, pulling off a win over the Lions that was 115 years in the making. The sides who had hosted primitive iterations of the Lions in 1910, 1927 and 1936 had been trounced on their own soil. The seventh meeting between the teams in 2005 had ended contentiously in a 25-25 draw, with Jonny Wilkinson slotting a last-gasp penalty after eight and a half minutes of stoppage time to break Argentinian hearts. But 20 years later, a 17-point underdog Puma outfit coached so superbly by Felipe Contepomi — who himself featured in that Cardiff warm-up, the only previous home Lions fixture — had sealed a generational victory. Advertisement And Contepomi’s pride was palpable as he entered the media room of the Aviva Stadium. “Well, you know, it’s kind of a one-off,” said the former Leinster out-half. “It’s an invitational game and the last time was 20 years ago and we just couldn’t beat them. We drew. Coming here 20 years later, I think it’s incredible. “We don’t know if we’ll ever again be invited or not to play a game like that, but definitely for everyone who has been involved in this week, it will be memorable.” Contepomi stressed that Los Pumas had enjoyed just two training sessions together in Dublin, adding that the warm weather on game-week had helped the visitors’ efforts as it allowed them to drink mate — a caffeine-rich, South American herbal drink — on the terrace of the Radisson Blu St Helen’s Hotel in Booterstown, including before they headed for Lansdowne Road on Friday. But the Argentina head coach didn’t overstate his team’s achievement, either, acknowledging that “we took a bit of an opportunity, also, because I know they (the Lions) will be much better in one month’s time when they’ll play Australia. “They’ll be an awesome team because they have so much quality in there but they had [only] a few training sessions. There was a bit of a lack of cohesion and we took our chances.” Still, the victory is a springboard for the silky-looking Pumas ahead of their Rugby Championship campaign, which kicks off after the Lions tour in August. Contepomi, who spent so much of his adult life in Dublin and, as a consequence, understands exactly the significance of Lions rugby to players in Ireland and Britain, said that to recognise that very significance was key to Argentina’s victory. “It’s special because sometimes you need to understand what motivates the other team, to understand how special it is,” he said. “For me, that’s being humble: understanding what motivates the other team and I know how special it is for an Irish, Scottish, Welsh or English player to be a Lion. And for us to play against the best of the best in these islands, it’s nearly a dream. “And I wouldn’t say even having a win because we could have lost that game. We won it, putting in that performance after two days. For me, I take my hat off to the boys. Related Reads Laughs, tears and frustration as Farrell settles into unique demands of Lions job 'There are no excuses, we should have been better' Defeat doesn't detract from sense Lions should do this more often “Yeah, we know there is a lot to improve but I’m so proud for the 23 but more so for the 32 that work here this week because how they behaved the whole week was unbelievable.” Gavan Casey View 3 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'20 years later, it's incredible' - Contepomi revels in iconic Argentina victory over Lions”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'20 years later, it's incredible' - Contepomi revels in iconic Argentina victory over Lions”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion News in 60 seconds FreePodcastThe 42 GAA Weekly Galway v Tipp: A rivalry rooted in thrillers | The appeasement of bandwagon fans Laughs, tears and frustration as Farrell settles into unique demands of Lions job BIG COUNTY NOW 'For us, it's 68 years, so the people were allowed that' - Sam Mulroy loads up again Declan Bogue Premier Tribe 'He was spotting things that maybe we wouldn't have seen. That's what you're looking for' When the second-best side in Europe came to 1980s Dublin number eight 'Not here to make up the numbers' - Conan keen for his Lions shot FreeCamogie 'At the start, I was like, ‘Oh God, no'' - Blair project pays dividends for Tipp As it happened British & Irish Lions v Argentina Kerry make 5 changes, Dublin and Cork stick with same XV Ready to go Galway's Fahy returns from suspension, Tipp ring the changes while Limerick remain unchanged slim pickings The few Lions players who enhanced their chances of Test inclusion in Australia more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account