The British and Irish Lions kick off their 2025 summer tour with Argentina
The highly anticipated 2025 British and Irish Lions tour will kick off with an exhibition match against Argentina in Dublin, Ireland, on the Friday before heading to Australia.
After months of planning, Andy Farrell will make his debut as Lions coach, leading his 38-player squad for the first time, with the aim of securing the second series victory for the Lions this century.
We know that Argentina will challenge us both in the front and on the flanks, so Friday night will be a difficult encounter, but also a great occasion for all the fans.
Andy Farrell
- Date: Friday, June 20th
- Time: 20:00 BST (05:00 AEST Saturday)
- Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
- Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and Stan Sport in Australia.
Marcus Smith will have his first opportunity to shine at fullback after being named in the starting lineup, while 20-year-old Henry Pollock has been included on the bench.
Farrell announced his first team as Lions coach on Wednesday, with Smith occupying the number 15 position. Smith has alternated between fly-half and fullback for England recently, and Farrell has highlighted his versatility as a key reason for his selection for the tour.
Pollock, a back-row player, grabbed the headlines when the team was announced in May, after making his England debut in a standout season for Northampton. He hopes to get the chance off the bench to make his mark.
Julián Montoya will be the captain of Argentina, who will seek to ruin the Lions’ debut. Farrell chose to leave out the players who shone in the Premiership final the previous weekend, but Argentina has decided to line up Montoya, who captained Leicester.
Also, Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger, and Simón Benítez Cruz are ready to debut with Argentina.
In Australian opinion, the absence of Owen Farrell means there is no fear factor
British & Irish Lions match schedule for the tour of Australia
The entire 38-player Lions team
The moment Maro Itoje was named Lions captain
