Bravo Argentina, who claimed a famous 28-24 win against the Lions in Dublin at the weekend. The excuses quickly flowed for the Lions, conveniently ignoring the fact that the magnificent Pumas were missing nine starters from the side that thrashed the Wallabies in Argentina last year. The reality is the Lions played with a hint of hubris, throwing needless offloads, and a hint of vulnerability, with their big South African winger Duhan van der Merwe second best in the aerial battles and their back row looking undersized with three natural opensides. But the main story really was about Argentina, whose players are scattered throughout the world but who consistently show a remarkable ability to come together quickly. They exposed the Lions’ narrow defence, counterattacked with brilliance and scrambled as if their lives depended on it. They should have beaten Ireland on the same ground in November but are clearly a team on the up under a young and innovative coaching crew. Schmidt’s already inside their heads On the eve of the Argentina game, the Lions’ Australian “general manager of performance” David Nucifora gave an unintentionally illuminating interview in which he talked about Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt. Nucifora admitted that he was an avid listener to Schmidt’s interviews, trying to get a read on what he was thinking, with the two men knowing each other very well from their time in Ireland. Good luck with that, given Schmidt’s habit of qualifying everything that he says. But Nucifora’s attempted Kremlinology shows the Lions have a degree of wariness about Schmidt and what he might be planning. Based on what they dished up against Argentina, with captain Maro Itoje decrying it as “tippy tappy” rugby, their energy would be better spent elsewhere.