This Friday marks the start of the 2025 British & Irish Lions Journey. They begin their campaign with a warm-up game v Argentina in Dublin at the Aviva Stadium. The game will kick off at 8pm. As the excitement and expectation of players builds with 48 hours left to go, in this article I will look to breakdown who I believe will be playing for the Lions this Friday in their tour opener.
1. Ellis Genge
Ellis was monumental in the west-country derby, in the Gallagher Premiership Semi-Final, 2 weeks ago. He was the emotional driver for the Bristol Bears team and I believe Andy Farrell will rely on Genge’s leadership ability in this opening tour game. With a younger side most likely to play, due to the 15 players missing the majority of camp so far due to the Premiership and URC finals, his leadership alongside his playing ability will be vital for Lion’s success in Dublin.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie
Luke Cowan-Dickie, the only selected hooker available for the game with both Sheehan and Kelleher unavailable through Leinster commitments is a shoe-in to start this Friday night. Cowan-Dickie overcame injury troubles over the past 2/3 years and will be looking to use his Lions experience, from 2021 in South Africa, to show is impact at both set piece and in the loose v Argentina.
3. Finlay Bealham
Finlay Bealham, a late call-up the Lions Squad with the unfortunate injury to Zander Fagerson, will be looking to prove the selection team right this Friday. Bealham achieved his 50th cap for Ireland in the 2025 Six Nations and with his Australian roots, I’m sure he will be extremely excited for this tour to prove to his home country that letting him go was the wrong decision.
4. Maro Itoje ©
Lions Captain and now 3-time tourist, Maro Itoje, will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to this young side. Maro has played in the last 6 Lions Tests and has recently returned to his best form since claiming the England Captaincy. He will be hoping to match this return to form with his leadership abilities to lead the Lions to a win on Friday night and start their 2025 tour as they mean to go on.
5. Tadhg Beirne
Tadhg Beirne, versatile in playing in the second-row and back-row, has become one of Farrell’s go to players for Ireland over the past 4 years. There is no doubt he will be in the starting 15 come Friday night! Due to the lack of second-rows (3 of them away with finals duty at Leinster and Leicester), it is most likely we will see him in the row alongside Lions captain Itoje – forming what could be a devastating partnership!
6. Tom Curry
Tom Curry, usually finds himself in the no.7 shirt, however with the abundance of openside flankers in the squad, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see him switch flanks and wear the no.6 shirt on Friday night. With the physical presence of the front 5, Farrell may look to adopt a versatile and mobile back row made of 3 no.7s, aiming to win the breakdown battle and playing a more expansive game attacking the wider channels of the Argentinian defence. If this is the style Farrell wants to adopt, there is no doubt Curry will be in the team!
7. Jac Morgan
One of the only lights for Wales over the past 18 months has been their captain, Jac Morgan. The epitome of consistency and leadership, Morgan has put on standout performances every time he leads his country. Familiar in the red-coloured shirt, Jac Morgan will be looking to replicate his performances making an impact in both attack and defence, especially in the tackling department where he led the table for ‘most tackles made’ during the 2025 Six Nations.
8. Ben Earl
The final player to round out the pack, no.8 Ben Earl. Earl has the ability to play all across the back-row, however with his explosive ball-carrying ability, he will be hoping to put his name on the converted Lions No.8 shirt. In what may look like a heavy England team, Earl’s partnership with the likes of Curry and Itoje may form the connections that Farrell will rely on during these early matches as the squad starts to bond before they travel down under.
9. Alex Mitchell
The scrum-half conversation is an interesting one. Jamieson Gibson-Park, unless injury changes the situation, is guaranteed a Lions starting jersey with his world class performances over the past 12 months. With this being the case it’s a straight out battle between Mitchell and Williams for the Test bench spot. For the first game against Argentina, I believe Farrell will go with the England No.1 (Mitchell) over the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Year (Williams) mainly to do with the partnership he can provide with Fly-Half Fin Smith. Smith and Mitchell have a club and country connection which will be vital for the Lions to get off to a good start, providing some continuity within the team’s decision makers.
10. Fin Smith
Fin Smith, the 22-year-old, is likely to be given to reigns of this Lions squad on Friday night. Similar to the no.9 position, he will provide a strong partnership within the half-backs. Smith has settled in seamlessly into International Rugby with some unbelievable performances, including nailing a game-winning kick v France in this year’s Six Nations. This Friday will prove another challenge for this young Fly-Half, and he will be required to act as the glue to link all the firepower the Lions squad has throughout the pack and backline.
11. Duhan van der Merwe
The wingers may be one of the most competitive positions in the 2025 Lions Squad. For the first game, I anticipate van der Merwe will get the starting jersey at no.11. During the 2021 tour of South Africa, Duhan, started all 3 tests and scored 5 tries in his 7 appearances. The Scottish try machine also provides a physical aspect to the Lions backline which Farrell and his coaching team will look to implement through a number areas of the game.
12. Sione Tuipulotu
Sione Tuipulotu, arguably the best inside centre in the world, will make his return to International Rugby on Friday. Sione, had a pectoral injury earlier this year, which meant he missed the 2025 Six Nations campaign and left a massive hole in the Scottish midfield which they couldn’t field. Tuipulotu returned to action for the Glasgow Warriors towards the end of the season and once again proved the threat he can be in attack and defence. His partnership with club and country team-mate Huw Jones will most likely take place on Friday night – as long as there are no injury worries.
13. Huw Jones
Huw Jones, is the second part of the formidable Scottish and Glasgow Warriors centre partnership. Similarly to Sione, Huw Jones has had a number of injuries throughout the season, but he will be hoping that the injury woes are behind him. Jones, now 31, is a first-time tourist and he will be looking to put his name in the hat for a starting Lions Test position with a strong performance v Argentina. The try-scoring outside centre will provide the speed and agility to partner the strength and physical presence of Sione Tuipulotu.
14. Tommy Freeman
Tommy Freeman has had another breakout year for both England and Northampton Saints, becoming a staple for both teams. During the 2025 Six Nations, Freeman was fundamental to England’s success scoring in all 5 of England’s games. In Saint’s final game before the Lion’s announcement, they faced Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final, in which Freeman scored a hat-trick showing his big game performance ability. He will be hoping to take his try-scoring ability into the red shirt of the British & Irish Lions.
15. Elliot Daly
With both Full-Backs away from training camp this week, it is most likely that we will see a versatile player taking the no.15 shirt this Friday. With that being the case, there is no-one better to fill in than Elliot Daly, who was most likely selected in the 2025 Lions Squad for his extreme versatility across the backline. Daly will bring a wealth of experience being a third-time tourist. As well as his utility, Daly also brings his long-range kicking threat, which could be invaluable for the Lions in Test-Match rugby.
16. Jamie George
Jamie George, the England and Saracens stalwart is the first player to be named in the team that didn’t make the initial squad selection. George was brought in as Hooker cover with both Leinster Hooker’s playing in the URC final. George will bring a wealth of experience to the squad from his international appearances and previous touring experience. This, alongside his connections with the England players throughout the squad means he is a no brainer to be involved on Friday.
17. Pierre Schoeman
Pierre Schoeman will be fighting with Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter for a Lions Test shirt. In the current pecking order, you would have placed him 3rd, however his desirable size and power is a clear bonus to the Lions squad. Whether he is starting or on the bench for the Argentina game, it will be the first of many trial games for the Scot to put his hand up for selection against the Wallabies in July.
18. Asher Opoku-Fordjour
What a rise to the top it has been for, the young Sale prop, Asher Opoku-Fordjour! Shadowed slightly by the world-beating performances of his U20 team-mate Henry Pollock, Asher was not initially selected for the squad, but has been brought in to train with the squad due to other unavailability’s at Tighthead Prop. The youngster will most likely get a chance to show his ability on Friday, with Furlong and Stuart being involved in finals at the weekend, where the Englishman will be hoping to make another huge step in the infancy of his career.
19. Scott Cummings
One of the few surprise picks from Andy Farrell during the Lions squad selection last month. Cummings has been hit with injuries this year, most notably a broken thumb which kept him out of Scotland’s Six Nations campaign and has meant he has only played once since January. With this being the case, Cummings will look to benefit from unavailability’s and get some valuable minutes under his belt as he makes his Lions debut.
20. Henry Pollock
The man of the moment currently, youngest tourist, Henry Pollock will most likely feature during the Lions outing v Argentina on Friday. A monumental inclusion in the squad for the Englishman was greeted with the loudest cheer in London’s Indigo O2. The young English and Saints flanker scored 2 tries on his senior debut for England v Wales in Cardiff, and as such, he will be looking to have another huge impact in what could be his first game for the British & Irish Lions.
21. Tomos Williams
Tomos Williams, Gallagher Premiership Player of the Year! Despite his struggles with the international side, his club form has been imperious for Gloucester. In the Cherry and Whites jersey, Williams scored 8 tries and made 23 line-breaks as he took the side to just outside the Top 4. I would not be surprised to see Williams involved on Friday, either starting or off the bench where he will look to nail down the no.2 spot behind Jamieson Gibson-Park in the scrum-half position.
22. Marcus Smith
The ever-present Marcus Smith will also most likely be involved on Fridy evening in Dublin. Whether that is off the bench of starting is yet to be determined. In this squad, I have him covering Fly-Half and Full-Back where he would be hoping to make an impact off the bench. Smith has had an up and down year, especially at international level, with the constantly changing positions of Fly-Half and Full-Back. However, his previous Lions experience, after being called up for the 2021 tour v South Africa, will be invaluable to himself and the team.
23. Bundee Aki
Ever reliable Bundee Aki rounds off my 23. The veteran 35-year-old was nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year in 2023 and he seems to be getting better with age. Andy Farrell clearly trusts Bundee as he is ever-present within the Irish squad, therefore I expect he will feature heavily throughout this Lions tour. He will have the challenge of breaking up the Scottish centre partnership, Tuipulotu and Jones, if he wants a chance at Test Match rugby v the Wallabies, which he will go a long way towards with a strong performance v Argentina in Dublin.