British & Irish Lions v Argentina: rugby union
Update:
Date: 2025-06-20T17:59:55.000Z
Title: Looking for a rundown of the rest of our live coverage this weekend?
Content: Here's everything you need to know.
Update:
Date: 2025-06-20T17:59:51.000Z
Title: The lineups
Content: Here's a reminder of the starting XVs, in case needed.
Lions: Marcus Smith; Tommy Freeman, Sione Tuipulotu, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Maro Itoje (captain), Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl.
Argentina: Santiago Carreras; Rodrigo Isgró, Lucio Cinti, Justo Piccardo, Ignacio Mendy; Tomás Albornoz, Gonzalo García; Mayco Vivas, Julián Montoya (captain), Joel Sclavi, Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera, Juan Martín González, Joaquín Oviedo.
Update:
Date: 2025-06-20T17:59:39.000Z
Title: Preamble
Content: And so it begins. After all the hype, buzz and anticipation, the 2025 Lions tour is about to get under way.
Before the squad fly out to Australia, there's the small matter of a tough warm-up match against Argentina, ranked fifth in the world, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. It will be the first time the Lions have played in Ireland, a historic occasion which the squad's 16-strong Irish contingent will be especially keen to mark with a win. Tadhg Beirne, who will start at lock, has said as much, telling the press: 'For us Irish players it's extra special and means a lot.' Beirne was part of the Ireland side that narrowly beat Argentina 22-19 at the Aviva last November, a result which hints at just how tough this game could be.
While the Pumas' last outing was a 37-23 defeat to France soon afterwards, their three wins at the Rugby Championship last year – against New Zealand in Wellington, Australia in Santa Fe and South Africa in Santiago del Estero – are a better measure of their mettle. Expect brutal forward play and threats across the back line.
As for the Lions, it's early days. This is a chance to experiment, feel out different combinations and build relationships on the pitch, albeit against steely opposition.
There's a subplot for England fans, with Steve Borthwick's side set to face Argentina in two Tests on 5 July and 12 July. No doubt Borthwick will be keeping a close eye on proceedings.
As for the rest of us, it's time to sit back and enjoy the ride. Here's some pre-match reading to be going on with.
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