Tom Curry has emphasized the need for the British and Irish Lions to have tough conversations and maintain resilience following their 28-24 defeat by Argentina in Dublin. The loss at Aviva Stadium has put a damper on the Lions' preparations for their upcoming Australian tour, but Curry believes the team can use this setback as motivation to improve.

Moving Forward

Curry, who started all three Tests against South Africa in 2021, stressed the importance of the squad pulling together and taking personal responsibility for their performances. "I have been in these situations before, and we have got to pull tighter. It is the only way," said the 27-year-old England back row. He added, "We have to have the tough conversations. I am not going to say it is going to be a party, we don't need that. But we have got to pull tight and hit the ground running when it comes to training."

Learning from the Loss

The Lions scored tries through Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne, along with a penalty try, but lacked the cutting edge needed to secure a win. Curry pointed out that the players must take responsibility for their own performances and how they handle the ball. "That is the really annoying thing because on the flip side it's really exciting because we do have our hands on the ball and are in great spots," he said. "But come on, we need to take personal responsibility when we have it."

Positive Outlook

Despite the defeat, Curry described this year's Lions experience as "sick" compared to the Covid-hit series against the Springboks four years ago. "It's nice being in Dublin and people aren't booing you," he said. "I think that's a cool thing. We speak a lot about respect with our own team-mates. We've only got six weeks together. Respect is so hard to earn but so easy to lose and I think it's really important, like I said, that every session and meeting we turn up and push in the right direction."

Looking Ahead

The Lions now turn their attention to their tour opener against Western Force on Saturday in Perth (11:00 BST). Curry and the team are determined to bounce back and make a strong start to their Australian campaign.