British and Irish Lions v Argentina preview: ‘Brutal’ Pumas to ‘trouble’ Andy Farrell’s ‘England-heavy’ side but ‘quality in depth’ the difference
Our preview of the first British and Irish Lions match of the year as they tackle Argentina for the first time in 20 years.
A historic battle awaits us at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as the British and Irish Lions tackle Argentina for the first time in two decades.
It’s a real shame that this is just the second time since rugby went professional that these two proud teams collide and even if players are not awarded Test caps, this is still the kind of match every player dreams of.
While this serves as a preparation match for the British and Irish Lions, Andy Farrell’s charges face a formidable foe in the fifth-highest-ranked nation in the world, a passionate Pumas team that will be hellbent on knocking over the men in the famous red jersey.
Felipe Contepomi’s men will not only be gunning for a victory to etch their names into the history books but to prove the point, yet again, that they can mix it with the very best in the world, having recently claimed wins over the All Blacks and Springboks.
Adding to their motivation, not that they are ever lacking in that department, are the talks in the background about adding Argentina to the Lions’ touring schedule. The last time the invitational team toured the South American nation was back in 1936, and with the current schedule up for renewal, Argentina are eager to snap up a spot.
Future matches aside, Los Pumas have the opportunity to cause another upset as they did with a 25-25 draw against Sir Clive Woodward’s Lions 20 years ago and while they are without several top players; they will fancy their chances.
As for Farrell’s men, Friday’s encounter not only provides the fans with the first look at 2025 Lions players but will give a hint as to how the team will play tactically in the first tour since 2009, not coached by Warren Gatland.
Where the game will be won
Having yet to see the B&I Lions in action, it’s difficult to tell exactly what Farrell and his coaching staff have up their sleeves but we can assume that it will largely be based on Ireland’s successful template.
With it being the first match of the year for both teams, we can expect a bit of disconnect among the players in their pursuit of fluency and rhythm but like every international match between two top nations, this encounter will be decided up front.
The Lions have world-class threats throughout their backline but that will matter little if they are unable to secure possession at the set-pieces and fail to protect the ball at the breakdown. Argentina have serious threats over the ball, particularly in the form of their leaders Julian Montoya and Pablo Matera.
There is no shortage of class in the two forward packs but perhaps where the difference truly lies is on the bench with Contepomi selecting a youthful and inexperienced group of replacements while the Lions have world-class operators in their eight.
Last time they met
What they said
After captaining Argentina the last time these two sides faced off, Contepomi will now coach his country against the Lions and spoke of the honour of facing the touring team.
“It’s an honour to have received the invitation from the British & Irish Lions to play their farewell match before the tour of Australia, which will be their first-ever visit to Ireland,” he said.
“I know how prestigious it is for them to be part of this team, and being invited to this event fills us with pride.”
The Los Pumas great predicts that the Lions will play in a similar way to Ireland but the side will have splashings of tactics from the other three nations as well.
“It could look something like [playing similarly to Ireland], but when you see the way that Scotland plays, it’s not that very different. The way that Wales plays, when they just go and are on the front foot, you know, it’s not different,” he said.
“England might have differences, but in the last two games of the Six Nations, it looked more like an Irish team than the first three games of England. So I think they’ll go and play hard and they have very good players. Definitely, they will be a very strong team.”
Meanwhile, the Lions head coach laid down the law after naming his side to tackle the Pumas warning players that the battle for places in the Test team starts now.
“This is a full-blown Test match for us. There’s no doubt about that,” Farrell stated emphatically. “Everyone’s gung-ho to get going.
“Everyone wants to play. I’m sure there will be some lads twitching in the stand dying to get out there and a little bit of jealousy as well.
“That’s what we want. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what my Test side could be but you can’t even go there because the competition is that good.”
Maro Itoje to skipper England heavy British and Irish Lions side in tour opener against Argentina
Players to watch
Before the first kick of the ball, the Lions were dealt their first injury setback with Zander Fagerson withdrawing from the tour and has been replaced by Irish tighthead Finlay Bealham who earns his debut for the side in the starting XV on Friday. The front-row was an able replacement for Tadhg Furlong, who makes his return from injury via the bench, during the Six Nations but playing for the Lions is another step up. As Farrell mentioned in his presser, the battle for Test places starts this weekend and Bealham gets the first chance to stake his claim in a hotly contested position.
The same is true at fly-half as Englishman Fin Smith starts in the all-important number 10 jersey with many predicting that Scotsman Finn Russell is in pole position to fill the role in the Test series. Smith has catapulted himself into the first-choice jumper for England and will be hellbent on doing the same for the tourists. At the age of 23, he shows maturity and game management beyond his years and will be crucial to setting the tempo and tone of the Lions’ attack.
There are just two Welshmen in the British and Irish Lions squad and both players have been given the nod for the opening game with Jac Morgan starting on the side of the scrum while Tomos Williams will look to make an impact from the bench. The duo were clear standouts for a struggling Wales outfit this season and will be keen to finish an international match on the winning side of the result for a change.
While Argentina are without a plethora of top talents for this match, Contepomi does have his brilliant playmaker Tomas Albornoz at his disposal. It took some time for Albornoz to truly make a mark at the highest level but under Contepomi’s tutelage last year he was phenomenal and took his performance to another level. If Los Pumas are to have a hope of knocking over the Lions, they will need Albornoz to be on top of his game and weave magic in open play and off the tee.
Another breakout performer for Argentina last year, back-rower Joaquin Oviedo, poses a real threat to the Lions in every facet of the game. An incredibly athletic loose forward, he is also a tireless operator, whether that be with or without the ball. Oviedo provides Los Pumas with the perfect answer to the Lions’ all-action number eight, Ben Earl, who is of a similar ilk. The back-rower produced his finest performances in the wins over the All Blacks and Springboks last year and will be keen to reduce that form in the first game of the year.
Felipe Contepomi shows his hand for Argentina’s eagerly anticipated clash with British & Irish Lions
Main head-to-head
With world-class talents littered across the two starting XVs, it’s difficult to single out a single head-to-head but there are few match-ups as tasty as the one in the number six jumpers with the brilliant Tom Curry and Pablo Matera going toe-to-toe.
Both players are proven quality at this level but Friday’s game will be particularly important for Curry in his bid to start in the Test series Down Under with the Englishman needing to prove his lineout capabilities. The Lions have just two out-and-out jumpers in their starting pack with Curry providing the likiest third option at the set-piece. This is the only facet of his game that is in question, as he is brilliant defensively, in attack and superb at the breakdown.
Meanwhile, Matera features in an incredibly well-rounded loose trio that can really do it all. Argentina’s most memorable victories in recent years have been spearheaded by the powerhouse flanker and if Los Pumas are to notch up yet another historic success, best believe Matera will be central to their performance again.
Prediction
On paper, the British and Irish Lions should emerge victorious considering the star power throughout their matchday 23 but games are never won on paper.
Argentina always produce passionate performances and have a tendency to perform above their perceived limitations, most notably knocking over the All Blacks in 2020 despite doing most of their training sessions over Zoom and indoors. Sure that was some five years ago but the willingness and sheer brutality that Argentina are capable of can absolutely trouble Farrell’s men.
The Pumas are bound to be rusty having only convened together as a full squad this week while many of the Lions players have been training together in Portugal. Still, it will be the first time that the Lions play in the new combinations and with these players against serious opposition.
The emotional battle will certainly play a crucial role in the outcome of the match with the England-heavy Lions getting the chance to stake their bid first, while men in the blue and white hoops get the rare opportunity of tackling the famous invitational team.
Ultimately, the quality in depth that the B&I Lions have will surely be too much for Argentina to handle as Farrell’s men roar to a victory by at least 10 points.
Previous results
2005: Drew 25 all in Cardiff
1936: B&I Lions won 23-0 in Buenos Aires
1927: B&I Lions won 43-0 in Buenos Aires
1927: B&I Lions won 34-3 in Buenos Aires
1927: B&I Lions won 46-0 in Buenos Aires
1927: B&I Lions won 37-0 in Buenos Aires
1910: B&I Lions won 28-3 in Buenos Aires
The teams
British & Irish Lions: 15 Marcus Smith, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Elliot Daly, 23 Mack Hansen
Argentina: 15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Justo Piccardo, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo Garcia, 8 Joaquin Oviedo, 7 Juan Martin González, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Joe Sclavi, 2 Julian Montoya (c), 1 Mayco Vivas
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Francisco Coria Marchetti, 19 Santiago Grondona, 20 Joaquin Moro, 21 Simon Benítez Cruz, 22 Matias Moroni, 23 Santiago Cordero
Date: Friday, June 20
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT)
Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (GRU), Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
