The traditional curtain-raiser will see the 1888 Cup on the line for only the second time, with the Lions having won it four years ago by beating Japan at Murrayfield ahead of the trip to South Africa in a game that saw captain Alun Wyn Jones suffer a dislocated shoulder that ruled him out for the summer.
After a training camp in Portugal, the Lions will be keen to warm up for their tour Down Under with a statement victory over tough opponents, with their first game in Australia coming up against the Western Force of Super Rugby in Perth next weekend.
They have six warm-up matches on a busy six-week schedule in total against a mix of Super Rugby and invitational opposition, with three Tests then coming up against Joe Schmidt’s improved Wallabies.
Argentina will be hoping to spoil the farewell party, having pushed Farrell’s Ireland hard during last year’s autumn international series and put 50 points on Italy as well as beating France in the summer during a 2024 in which they finished third above Australia in the Rugby Championship.
This game serves as part of their warm-up for the 2025 edition of the premier southern hemisphere competition, with an England team weakened by Lions call-ups also heading their way for a two-Test tour in July.
British and Irish Lions vs Argentina date, kick-off time and venue
The British and Irish Lions take on Argentina tonight, Friday June 20, 2025, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm BST.
The match will take place at the Aviva Stadium, the first time the Lions have ever played a fixture in Dublin. It’s not yet sold out, with high ticket prices a major talking point in the build-up.
How to watch British and Irish Lions vs Argentina
TV channel: In the UK, the game is being broadcast live via Sky Sports. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action at 7pm BST.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also watch live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: Follow the action as it happens with Standard Sport’s live match blog.
British and Irish Lions vs Argentina team news
It added to growing issues for Farrell at tighthead, with questions continuing to surround Lions veteran Tadhg Furlong’s fitness after an injury-plagued season, though he is on the bench tonight as Bealham starts.
Bath duo Will Stuart and Finn Russell are not involved as two of the 15 players who joined up with the squad after last weekend’s respective Premiership and URC finals, along with Leicester’s Ollie Chessum and 13 from Leinster.
Farrell goes almost exclusively with those who have been in camp for the entire time so far save for Leinster hooker Ronan Kelleher, who is named among the replacements.
Fin Smith gets the nod at fly-half in the absence of Russell, with England namesake Marcus keen to impress at full-back with Hugo Keenan carrying a calf issue.
Call-up: Finlay Bealham has been drafted into the Lions squad as a replacement for Zander Fagerson
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Alex Mitchell will hope to make a similar impression at scrum-half with presumed locked-in Test starter Jamison Gibson-Park having missed Leinster’s win over the Bulls as a late withdrawal with a glute injury.
Farrell has paired No12s Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki together in a powerful centre partnership, flanked by England’s Tommy Freeman and Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe.
England duo Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie complete the front row, with captain Itoje joined at lock by the versatile Tadhg Beirne.
Wales captain Jac Morgan is in the back row along with Tom Curry and Ben Earl, who take the number of English starters in the first Lions XV of the summer up to nine.
Budding superstar Henry Pollock is on the bench along with Elliot Daly, plus Irish trio Kelleher, Furlong and Mack Hansen, Scotland forwards Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings, and Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams.
England prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour had been training with the Lions as cover earlier in the week, along with hooker Jamie George and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet.
There is no Blair Kinghorn, the only France-based player in the Lions squad who will join up late with Toulouse aiming for Top 14 glory this month.
Argentina have named a strong lineup that is captained by departing Leicester hooker Julian Montoya and also features Gloucester’s Bath-bound star Santiago Carreras, plus Saracens pair Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti.
Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi is without players based in France, with Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger and Simon Benitez Cruz all poised to earn their debuts off the bench.
British and Irish Lions vs Argentina lineups
Lions XV: M Smith; T Freeman, Tuipulotu, Aki, Van der Merwe; F Smith, Mitchell; Genge, Cowan-Dickie, Bealham; Itoje (c), Beirne; Curry, Morgan, Earl
Replacements: Kelleher, Schoeman, Furlong, Cummings, Pollock, Williams, Daly, Hansen
Argentina XV: Carreras; Isgro, Cinti, Piccardo, Mendy; Albornoz, Garcia; Vivas, Montoya (c), Sclavi; Molina, Rubiolo; Matera, Gonzalez, Oviedo
Replacements: Bernasconi, Wenger, Coria Marchetti, Grondona, Moro, Benitez Cruz, Moroni, Cordero
British and Irish Lions vs Argentina head to head (h2h) history and results
The Lions twice visited Argentina all the way back in 1927 and 1936, with all six matches won by the tourists.
The sides last met in 2005, when Jonny Wilkinson’s late penalty rescued a 25-25 draw for Clive Woodward’s disappointing Lions against a depleted Pumas team in Cardiff ahead of a miserable tour to New Zealand in which they lost every Test.
British and Irish Lions vs Argentina prediction
The Lions are hardly likely to be firing on all cylinders for their first game of the summer, with so many moving parts still and a number of key players to be properly integrated into the fold after last weekend’s domestic club finals.
However, they will still be looking to send a clear early message to the Wallabies with a confident win in Dublin and have more than enough firepower to get the job done.
Playing it cool: Andy Farrell will be desperate to avoid any injuries ahead of the trip to Australia
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But underestimate Argentina at your peril – the Pumas are always a granite-tough match-up regardless of the circumstance and will be itching to make it a damp squib of a send-off as they warm up for England.
The biggest hope for Farrell will be no major injuries after Alun Wyn Jones’ tour-ending setback in the previous 1888 Cup fixture against Japan ahead of the trip to South Africa in 2021.
Lions to win, by at least 10 points.
British and Irish Lions vs Argentina match odds
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
