Five Saracens feature in British and Irish Lions Tour Opener

All three of our Lions contingent will face up against our Argentine duo in Dublin this Friday night as the British and Irish Lions kick off their 2025 Summer Tour.

Maro Itoje captains the Lions for the first time alongside Ben Earl who also starts in the pack. Elliot Daly is expected to provide some experience off the bench. Additionally both Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti start from the off for Argentina.

The Lions, playing on Irish soil for the first time, take on the Pumas in the 1888 Cup at the Aviva Stadium on Friday (20:00 kick-off).

Saracens and England lock Maro Itoje will captain the side for the very first time as he prepares for his third Tour. In total 14 players could make their Lions debut against the Pumas. Whilst two-times tourists Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Marcus Smith and Duhan van der Merwe all featured in South Africa in 2021. The Lions can also call on the experience of three-times tourists Elliot Daly and Tadhg Furlong off the bench.

Lions Head Coach Farrell 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.

The British & Irish Lions v Argentina

15. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855

14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England)

13. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)

12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837

11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841

10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England)

9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England)

1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England)

2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851

3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)

4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) #825 (c)

5. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) #838

6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853

7. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales)

8. Ben Earl (Saracens/England)

Replacements:

16. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)

17. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)

18. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #818

19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland)

20. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England)

21. Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)

22. Elliot Daly (Saracens/England) #822

23. Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)

On the other side of the pitch, both Lucio Cinti and Juan Martin Gonzalez will start for the Pumas in Dublin. The former has made a welcome return from injury to start in the midfield while Gonzalez will look to carry his form from the latter end of the campaign into international action this Friday night.