British and Irish Lions 25 Argentina 25

On one hand, complete disaster. On the other, some interesting source material for the British Lions and their coach Sir Clive Woodward as they prepare to undertake the most difficult task in professional rugby.

Woodward and his class of 2005 leave for New Zealand later this week no doubt conscious that their first public appearance had been somewhat embarrassing.

They have been found wanting by a second-rate rugby nation shorn of more than 20 of their front-line players. How can the Lions be expected to fare in the land of the Maori warrior?

The coach could argue that this was far from his Test line-up and he could also point to the return of Jonny Wilkinson as a major plus.

The golden boy of English rugby returned to the international arena with calm assurance, running the ball with alacrity and kicking his goals as though he'd never been away. He even landed his final face-saving penalty deep into injury time much as he'd rescued England 18 months ago.

He and his opposite number Federico Todeschini made every kick count as the Millennium Stadium witnessed its second penalty shoot-out in three days. Both men landed 20 points apiece.

Elsewhere Woodward will use the evidence of last night to determine in which areas his team needs to be developed and which players look capable of providing that improvement.

The scrum was a massive weakness and in the first half alone was culpable for three points and could have coughed a few more.

The Irish duo of John Hayes and Shane Byrne, and their English loosehead Graham Rowntree, were ground into dust in the opening period . As a result, the Lions set-piece went backwards at a rapid rate.

That will be a huge comfort to All Blacks coach Graham Henry who will be aware that he will have to find a way to counter a traditional strength of many touring sides. On this showing he may not have to.

Another who enjoyed a less-than-memorable Lions debut was scrum-half Gareth Cooper who fumbled for Argentina's opening try and whose lack of touch on his passing seriously inhibited their cause.

And Irishman Gordan D'Arcy looked a shadow of the centre who dominated the 2004 Six Nations who had been held by many as the natural partner for tour captain Brian O'Driscoll.

He was willing in attack but he had a touch of the Roberto Duran - hands of stone - never more so than when he should have collected a Geordan Murphy pass to scamper ten yards to score the winner.

Like so many balls that came his way last night, it hit the turf.

Quite how Woodward's men trailed by only three points at half time is remarkable. Man for man they might have been better players - at times they showed it - but those occasions were all too rare and it was the visitors who looked as though they had been handpicked from the cream of four elite rugby playing nations.

Their greater cohesion reaped the first 13 points in as many minutes as Todeschini landed two penalties and converted a try made by Lisandro Arbizu and scored by winger Jose Nunez Piossek.

The Lions only try, after 17 minutes, was the product of England captains past, present and future as Martin Corry stopped No 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamen from crossing the gain-line in his own 22. That gave his team an attacking line-out which was nudged deeper into Pumas territory where Wilkinson made the first of several adept offloads by releasing Ollie Smith at full pace over the line.

The rest of the first half belonged to Wilkinson and Todeschini who exchanged goals as schoolboys do football cards. Both packs simply give away penalties.

It meant Mr Dickinson's whistle was never far from his lips, thus attacking rugby could not flourish. But that the Pumas because when men like Shane Williams and Denis Hickie did get the ball in hand they looked reasonably incisive. It was down to Jonny and his wonder boot to spare a few blushes.

LIONS: Murphy; Hickie, Smith (Horgan 61), D'Arcy, Williams; Wilkinson, Cooper (Cusiter 59); Rowntree, Byrne (Thompson 70), Hayes (White 50), O'Callaghan (Kay 70), Grewcock, Corry, Moody, Owen. Replacements: Dallaglio, O'Gara.

ARGENTINA: Stortoni; Nunez Piossek, Arbizu, Contemponi, Leonelli; Todeschini, Fernandez Miranda; Mendez, Ledesma, Reggiardo, Bouza, Sambucetti (Carizza 73), Schusterman, Genoud (Sanz 71), Leguizamon. Replacements: Guinazu, De Chazal, Lopez, Fleming, Bosch, Serra.

Referee: Mr S Dickinson (Australia)