The 2025 British and Irish Lions kick off their summer with one of the toughest matches they will face over the next two months: Argentina in Dublin on Friday, live on Sky Sports.
The clash against the Pumas is the first of 10 fixtures for Andy Farrell’s side this summer, and historic in that it’s the first Lions match ever to be played in Ireland.
Following the full-time whistle at the Aviva Stadium, the squad will set off for Australia for six more tour matches and three Tests against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies, with all matches exclusively live on Sky Sports.
While most of the Lions’ warm-up fixtures for those Tests will take place against domestic Australian clubs likely missing their international players, Friday’s clash features an Argentina side filled with Test experience.
Farrell announced his squad for the match on Wednesday, with several interesting points of note emerging…
Fly-half: Fin Smith has ‘huge opportunity’ but Russell still in Test driving seat?
Fin Smith has a ‘huge opportunity’ to lay a marker down in the battle to claim the British and Irish Lions fly-half jersey, says two-time Lions tourist Dan Biggar
Speaking to Sky Sports, two-time Lions tourist Dan Biggar says England’s Fin Smith has a “huge opportunity” starting the Lions’ first tour match, but concedes his Test fly-half would still be Finn Russell for now.
Biggar, who is part of Sky Sports’ exclusive coverage of the Lions tour this summer, started the Lions’ opening tour match against Japan at Murrayfield in Scotland four years ago and went on to start at fly-half in all three Tests vs South Africa ahead of Owen Farrell and Russell.
“It’s a huge opportunity for Fin Smith to lay a marker down,” Biggar tells Sky Sports.
“I’m sure a lot of those players will be absolutely ecstatic about getting the chance to pull on the jersey for the first time and lay down a marker – that’s certainly what I felt four years ago. I felt like it was a really good opportunity early doors.
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Behind-the-scenes access to British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell speaking to the squad ahead of the tour of Australia
“If you’re asking me who starts at 10 in the first Test in Brisbane on July 19, regardless of what happens between now and then, I think Finn Russell is very much in the driving seat because of his form for Bath. Yes, his Six Nations was a little bit in and out, but he’s clearly a world-class operator, been there and done it, and is the most experienced option.
Finn Russell (right) would still be ahead of Smith in terms of starting the first Test, says Biggar
“Then, if the first Test doesn’t go according to plan, to show and put his hand up to Andy Farrell and say: ‘I am ready, I am at this level, I can back it up. If you need to call on me for any of those Test matches, I’m absolutely there.’
“His form for England over the last six months has been absolutely brilliant. It’s just a great chance to be out there first in the team and put a little bit of pressure on the guys playing in the next games.
“You don’t need people really trying to be 9.5/10 on Friday night and trying to further their cause individually. If the team goes well, and you play really nice, tidy rugby, then it’s going to help.
“Yes, you’re going to have your X-Factor moments, you’re going to have players who create moments of brilliance, but the big thing in a match like this is, can you all come together, put your egos to one side and say: ‘How can the team be better?’ Don’t force things too much.
Smith worked closely with Lions kicking coach Johnny Sexton during Thursday’s Captain’s Run
“That’s what Fin Smith has done really well with England and Northampton, he’s just gone about his business really well, which has in turn made the team function and click better, which then has made him look a little bit better without doing anything absolutely out of this world.”
Centre: A surprise Tuipulotu, Aki pairing filled with power
Elsewhere in the Lions side named to play at the Aviva Stadium, Biggar admits the decision to start both Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki in midfield caught him off guard, with both ordinarily inside-centre options.
The duo’s carrying strength is likely to help the entire team settle, though, according to the 2017 and 2021 Lions tourist.
“The centre pairing is a surprise in-so-far as clearly they’re both 12s in a sense and obviously Huw Jones was possibly not quite ready or fit enough to start, while Garry Ringrose is coming in off the back of Leinster’s URC success on Saturday, so it probably forced Andy Farrell into that a little bit, but I thought it was probably a great opportunity to play Elliot Daly.
Bundee Aki is one of two powerful, impactful centres to start alongside Sione Tuipulotu in a surprise pairing
“What playing Tuipulotu and Aki does give you when you play them together is plenty of power and Argentina are going to be challenged on the gain-line.
“When you’re coming together as a new group and when you’re finding your feet in a new system and shape, it’s always so much easier to do that if you’re on the front foot as a team. Those two on Friday night will give a lot of go-forward, challenging of the line and hopefully will allow other people’s jobs to become easier in finding their groove quicker.”
Tuipulotu will start in the 13 channel at international level for the first time since a Scotland Test vs Tonga in 2021
Back-row: Are Curry, Morgan, Earl too similar?
The back-row so often proves an area where matches are won and lost in rugby, with Biggar picking it out as another section for comment.
“I really like the make-up of the back-row in the sense they’re all quite similar in terms of 6, 7 and 8 in Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Ben Earl, but there’s so much dynamism and energy there, you know exactly what you’re getting.
“They’re going to be competitive at pretty much every breakdown, they’re going to be full of work-rate.
“Yes the balance in the back-row you could argue with in that they’re all very similar players, but I like the way they’re set up in order to go and chase, harry, fetch and turnover as much ball as possible to give the Lions as many opportunities in transition as possible.
“That’s a really interesting one.”
Welshman Jac Morgan forms part of an energetic back-row alongside England duo Tom Curry and Ben Earl
‘The toughest warm-up match they’ll have’
The last time the Lions faced Argentina they failed to win in 2005, drawing 25-25 in Cardiff before setting off for an ill-fated tour of New Zealand which ended in a 3-0 series defeat.
For Biggar, this variation of the Lions will prove too strong for the Pumas, but he’s expecting a a difficult contest and a far-from-perfect display from the thrown-together tourists.
“First of all they want to get through with no injuries. They want to give guys like Tadhg Furlong, Tuipulotu some game-time.
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British and Irish Lions head coach Farrell and captain Maro Itoje speak about the team’s desire to perform ahead of their clash with Argentina
“From a game model point of view, they’ll be looking to see if what they’ve been working on in training for the last seven to 10 days can be put out onto the pitch.
“If they manage to put enough of that on display, you’d think that they’ll have too much for Argentina, but this will be by far the toughest warm-up match they’ll have.
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Relive the best ever tries scored by the British and Irish Lions as we build up to the 2025 tour of Australia, which is live only on Sky Sports
“There’s too many good players on that park for the Lions, effectively.”
British and Irish Lions squad to face Argentina in Dublin on Friday – live on Sky Sports
British and Irish Lions: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Luke Cowan Dickie, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Tadhg Beirne, 6 Tom Curry, 7 Jac Morgan, 8 Ben Earl.
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Elliot Daly, 23 Mack Hansen.
British & Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports
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Watch the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia exclusively live on Sky Sports this summer
Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.
