Three Irish players to start for Lions against Argentina

Friday's game against Argentina will be the first time that the Lions have played on Irish soil. 

Munster's Tadhg Beirne will start in the second row alongside Lions tour captain Maro Itoje. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Andy Farrell has named six Irish players, including a fit-again Tadhg Furlong, in the British & Irish Lions squad for a historic first match on Irish soil, when they face Argentina at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Friday night.

The Ireland boss on Wednesday named his first matchday squad as Lions head coach with tour captain Maro Itoje set to lead his team out at the first opportunity as the tourists meet Los Pumas for the 1888 Cup ahead of their weekend departure for Australia and a three-Test series against the Wallabies, starting next month.

There are nine players in the 23, including England lock Itoje, who have toured with the Lions previously, also including Bundee Aki, who forms a potential Test centre partnership with Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu, and Tadhg Beirne who will pack down alongside his skipper in the second row.

Furlong has been named on the bench ahead of his third Lions tour, backing up starting tighthead prop and Ireland team-mate Finlay Bealham while Leinster hooker Ronan Kelleher is the only player from the group of domestic finalists who joined up with the squad on Monday to be asked to double up six days after appearing in the URC Grand Final win against the Bulls at Croke Park last Saturday.

Kelleher backs up England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie, with another Englishman, Ellis Genge, starting at loosehead prop, while Connacht wing Mack Hansen is named as the outside backs replacement.

The Lions will start with an all-English half-back partnership in Northampton duo Alex Mitchell and fly-half Fin Smith and there is further familiarity in the backline with clubmate Tommy Freeman named on the right wing in a back three with international team-mate Marcus Smith at full-back and Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe named on the left wing.

A combative back row features Tom Curry and Jac Morgan on the flanks with Ben Earl at No.8.

Farrell, who will face the media later on Wednesday at Aviva Stadium, said: “Congratulations to Maro Itoje ahead of leading out the Lions for the first time - it is a truly special moment and one that very few players ever get to experience.

“Maro has led the group well during our time in Portugal and then Dublin this week. This is also our first opportunity to show what the 2025 Lions are about and what we want to stand for as a team.

“We know that Argentina will challenge us up front and out wide - so Friday night will be a tough contest, but also a great occasion for all the fans.” 

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS (v Argentina): M Smith (Harlequins/ England); T Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), S Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), B Aki (Connacht/Ireland), D van der Merwe (Edinburgh/Scotland); F Smith (Northampton Saints/England), A Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England); E Genge (Bristol Bears/England), L Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England); F Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland); M Itoje (Saracens/England) – captain, T Beirne (Munster/Ireland); T Curry (Sale Sharks/England), J Morgan (Ospreys/Wales), B Earl (Saracens/England).

Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster/Ireland), P Schoeman (Edinburgh/Scotland), T Furlong (Leinster /Ireland), S Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), H Pollock (Northampton Saints/England), T Williams (Gloucester/Wales), E Daly (Saracens/England), M Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland).