British and Irish Lions: Epic summer tour starts with tough Argentina test in Dublin as selection debates begin | Rugby Union News

The British and Irish 2025 lions will start their summer with one of the most difficult matches they will face in the next two months: Argentina in Dublin on Friday, live Sky Sports.

The confrontation against the Pumas is the first of the 10 games for Andy Farrell’s team this summer, and historic in that it is the first Lions match to be played in Ireland.

After the full -time whistle at Stade Aviva, the team will leave for Australia for six other tour games and three tests against the Wallabies of Joe Schmidt, with all the live matches exclusively Sky Sports.

While most of the lions warm -up devices for these tests will take place against national Australian clubs probably missing their international players, Friday’s shock presents an Argentinian side filled with test experience.

Farrell announced his team on Wednesday for the match, with several interesting note points emerging …

Half Fly: End Smith has “a huge opportunity” but Russell still in the driving seat?

Talk to Sky SportsThe double tourist of the Lions Dan Biggar said that England at the end of Smith has a “huge opportunity” starting the first Lions round match, but concedes that his test of the test fly would still be Finn Russell for the moment.

Biggar, which is part of Sky Sports’ The exclusive coverage of the Lions tour this summer, started the Lions opening match against Japan in Murrayfield in Scotland four years ago and started to die in the three tests compared to South Africa in front of Owen Farrell and Russell.

“It’s a huge opportunity for the end Smith to put a marker,” says Biggar Sky Sports.

“I am sure that many of these players will be absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to shoot the jersey for the first time and put a marker – that is certainly what I felt four years ago. I had the impression that it was a very good early opportunity.

“If you ask me that starts at 10 years during the first test in Brisbane on July 19, no matter what is happening by then, I think that Finn Russell is very in the driving seat because of its form for Bath. Yes, its six nations have been a bit entered and more experienced, but it is clearly a world class operator, was there and was the most experienced option.

“Then, if the first test does not go as planned, to show and put his hand to Andy Farrell and say:” I’m ready, I’m at this level, I can save him. If you need to call me for one of these test matches, I’m absolutely there. “”

“Its shape for England in the last six months has been absolutely brilliant. It is just an excellent opportunity to be first in the team and to put a little pressure on the guys playing in the next games.

“You don’t need people to really try 9.5/10 on Friday evening and try to continue their cause individually. If the team is going well and you play very well and tidy rugby, then it will help.

“Yes, you are going to have your X-Factor moments, you will have players who create moments of shine, but the great thing in a match like this is, can you all come together, put your Egos on one side and say:” How can the team be better? “Don’t force things too much.

“This is what Smith ended very well with England and Northampton very well, he did his business very well, which in turn returned the team and a better click, which then made him look a little better without doing anything absolutely out of this world.”

Center: a surprise tuipulotu, an Aki matching filled with power

Elsewhere in the Lions team appointed to play at the Aviva stadium, Biggar admits the decision to start Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki in the midfield took it off guard, the two options usually.

The duo transport force is likely to help the whole team settle, however, according to the Lions tourist 2017 and 2021.

“The central pairing is a surprise in the FAR because they are clearly in one direction and, obviously, Huw Jones was perhaps not quite ready or in good shape to start, while Garry Ringrose arrives at the back of the success of the URC de Leinster on Saturday, so he probably forced Andy Farrell in this little, but I thought it was probably an excellent opportunity to play Elliot Daly.

“What play Tuipulotu and Aki gives you when you play them together is a lot of power and Argentina will be challenged on the gain line.

“When you come together as a new group and when you find your feet in a new system and a new form, it is always much easier to do it if you are on the foot before in the team. These two Friday evenings will give a lot to do line and, hope, will allow jobs of other people to become easier to find their groove faster.”

Rear radius: Curry, Morgan, Earl are they too similar?

The rear row so often proves an area where the matches are won and lost in rugby, with Biggar selecting it like any other section to comment.

“I really like the makeup of the rear row in the sense that they are all quite similar in terms of 6, 7 and 8 to Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Ben Earl, but there is so much dynamism and energy there, you know exactly what you get.

“They will be competitive about each ventilation, they will be full of work rates.

“Yes, the balance in the row with which you could contest in that they are all very similar players, but I like the way they are installed to hunt, Harry, recover and a turnover as much as possible to give the Lions as many opportunities in transition as possible.

“It’s really interesting.”

“ The hardest warm -up match they will have ”

The last time the Lions faced Argentina, they failed to win in 2005, pulling 25-25 in Cardiff before leaving for a bad tour in New Zealand which ended with a defeat of the 3-0 series.

For Biggar, this variation of lions will be too strong for Pumas, but it expects a difficult competition and a very perfect display of the tourists launched.

“First of all, they want to go without injury. They want to give guys like Tadhg Furlong, a tuipulotu of playing time.

“From the point of view of the game model, they will seek to see if what they have been working in training for seven to 10 days can be put on the field.

“If they manage to do enough of that, you would think they will have too much for Argentina, but it will be by far the most difficult warm -up match they will have.

“There are too many good players on this park for lions, effectively.”

British and Irish team of Lions to face Argentina in Dublin 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 end 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.

Substitutes: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Elliot Daly, 23 Mack Hansen.

Visit of the British and Irish Lions in Australia on Sky Sports

Sky Sports will exclusively show the tour of the British and Irish lions in 2025 in Australia, with the three tests against the Wallabies and six warm -up matches to show exclusively live.