What time and TV channel is the British and Irish Lions v Argentina on tonight
Andy Farrell's long wait to get back into the coaches box ends tonight as he returns to Lansdowne Road for the visit of Felipe Contepomi's Pumas in what is a novel fixture for the British and Irish Lions.
Never before have the Lions played on Irish soil so that unwelcome record comes to an end here as Farrell gets down to business in a match scenario for the first time since Ireland's Autumn Series victory over Australia on November 30 of last year.
Since then he has planned and plotted for this moment and, with many of his Leinster contingent still getting up to speed in Lions camp after their URC final success last weekend, there are six of his Ireland stars involved tonight.
The game takes place at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
The match kicks off at 8pm on Friday
It will be shown live on TG4 (from 7.20pm) and on Sky Sports Main Event (from 7pm)
The British and Irish Lions are 1/10 to win, Argentina are 13/2 to win, the draw is 30/1
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Finlay Bealham are the three Ireland players who start the game, while replacements Tadhg Furlong and Mack Hansen are poised to make their return from injury and Rónan Kelleher will be hungry for his chance to shine when the time comes.
Farrell will hope that his new-look side hit the ground running and immediately puts down a marker for the squad in terms of standards set, but Argentina won't make it easy. The 2025 Lions are finally ready to roar.
British and Irish Lions: Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman, Sione Tuipulotu, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe, Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Maro Itoje (captain), Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Elliot Daly, Mack Hansen.
Argentina: Santiago Carreras, Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Justo Piccardo, Ignacio Mendy, Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia; Mayco Vivas, Julian Montoya (captain), Joel Sclavi, Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo
Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger, Francisco Coria Marchetti, Santiago Grondona, Joaquin Moro, Simon Benitez Cruz, Matias Moroni, Santiago Cordero
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Lando Norris triumphs in Austria to cut Oscar Piastri's advantage in title race
Lando Norris won the battle of the McLarens to land a morale-boosting victory in Austria which breathes fresh life into his world championship charge. Norris kept his nerve in a thrilling duel with Oscar Piastri to take his third triumph of the season, reducing the title deficit to his team-mate to 15 points from 22. A fortnight after Norris ran into the back of Piastri in Canada, the two McLaren men came within centimetres of another collision on lap 20 of 70. Piastri momentarily lost control of his car as he attempted a lunge at turn four, before he was warned not to attempt a similar move – a clear sign McLaren had called off the fight. Norris took the chequered flag 2.7 seconds clear of Piastri, with Charles Leclerc finishing third. Lewis Hamilton was fourth with the seven-time world champion's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours extending to his home race at Silverstone next weekend. Max Verstappen's race lasted three corners after he was taken out by Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli. The first-lap retirement leaves him 61 points off the championship pace. George Russell took fifth for Mercedes. Norris departed Montreal with his championship hopes hanging in the balance after a collision with Piastri which the British driver said made him look like a fool. But Norris has been a driver reborn here in the Styrian mountains, securing an emphatic pole position before holding off Piastri with a statement victory. Norris nailed his getaway to keep Leclerc behind on the run 200-metre charge to turn one with Piastri then launching his McLaren around the outside of the Ferrari and into second place, providing him with clear sight of his team-mate. Verstappen had called his car 'undriveable' in qualifying on his way to taking a lowly seventh grid spot. And his torrid weekend was over on the first lap when Antonelli arrived like a torpedo at the third corner to T-bone the four-time world champion. 'I'm out, got hit, like crazy,' Verstappen said. 'F****** idiots.' In the other Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda was penalised for crunching Franco Colapinto and would finish 16th and last. A desperate weekend for Red Bull at their home event. Back to the front, and the safety car – released following the first-lap drama – came in at the end of lap three. For the next 16 laps, Norris would never be more than a second clear of Piastri. Oscar Piastri congratulates Norris (Darko Bandic/AP) And on the 11th lap, Piastri made the first move when he overtook Norris on the entry to turn three. Norris did not challenge knowing that a clean exit would provide him with a slingshot on the downhill drag to the next corner, and his wily decision worked when he got his man back on the inside of the right-hander. Clean racing from both, and the gap remained at half a second. Norris then ran wide on the exit of the final bend on lap 15 allowing Piastri a chance to close, but the Australian resisted a challenge. It was nip-and-tuck before Piastri attempted a banzai dive at turn four on lap 20. Piastri locked his front-right tyre and came agonisingly close to sliding into Norris' car. Lewis Hamilton's wait for a first podium in Ferrari colours continued (Darko Bandic/AP) McLaren promptly hauled in Norris for his first of two tyre changes. Piastri, perhaps as punishment, was left out on track with a flat-spotted tyre for four additional laps and was losing time – a signal that McLaren had seen enough. By the time Piastri emerged from his stop, Norris was six seconds up the road. 'The feedback from the pit-wall was that the move into turn four was too marginal and we can't do that again,' Piastri was told by his race engineer, Tom Stallard. Norris came in for his second stop with 18 laps remaining with a three-second lead. Piastri would stop the next time around and was then forced to take to the grass as he attempted to lap Colapinto in 14th. Piastri continued his charge and with 10 laps to go was back within two seconds. 'I need some pace,' Norris said. 'Please help.' But Piastri would not get a sniff as Norris took the chequered flag for his seventh career win – a perfect tonic as a pre-cursor to next weekend's British Grand Prix. 'We had a great battle, that's for sure,' Norris said. 'It was a lot of fun, a lot of stress, but a nice battle. It was tricky, hot and tiring, but the perfect result as a team.' Piastri said on the radio: 'Sorry for my move at turn four, that was my bad.' He added: 'I tried my absolute best and I probably could have done a better job when I momentarily got ahead. It was a bit on the edge, and I might have pushed a bit too far, but it was a good race and that is what we are here to do, to race each other and fight for wins.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
CJ Fulton on NBA Summer call: 'I'm still almost in disbelief'
On Friday, CJ Fulton made history as the only Irish-developed player to sign a contract for the NBA Summer League. He is the second Irish player to do so, following Pat Burke, who left Ireland aged three. The Fulton family is steeped in Irish basketball. Grandad Danny Fulton coached the Irish senior men's team. He has passed that baton to his son Adrian, who served as an assistant coach with CJ as he made his senior debut in 2021. And while he may be walking a well-worn path — CJ is carving out a legacy of his own. A dynamic playmaker, recording over 500 career assists in college, he was ranked 14th in the nation last season averaging 6.5 assists per game. Fulton stretches the opposition's defence with devastating accuracy from beyond the three-point line. The 6'3 point guard is also regarded as the safest hands in college basketball, leading the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio across multiple spells of his college career. CJ Fulton playing with Charleston Cougars While being chosen in the NBA draft seemed unlikely from the outset with only 60 players picked on the night, Fulton was invited to pre-draft workouts with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the 2023 Champions Denver Nuggets. 'I never thought I would be in this position and I'm still almost in disbelief myself," he said. "But I'm looking forward to the opportunity.' After a busy summer of NBA workouts, graduating from the College of Charleston, and training with fellow Irish international Neal Quinn in New Jersey, Fulton managed to squeeze in a trip back home, spending a few days with family, friends, and former Belfast Star teammates as the first step in his professional career began to unfold. Tim Connelly when asked if he came into the draft thinking he was going to take two 18 year-old 7-footers: "I was hoping to get like 14.4 feet combined. And I achieved that goal." — Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) June 27, 2025 Tim Connelly, the Timberwolves general manager, shared his aspirations to add Fulton to his Summer League roster in a media interview on Thursday evening and due to the time differences, CJ slept through the contract negotiations. "I was kind of expecting an update from my agent after the second night of the draft to see if teams were showing any interest in me for Summer League. "He texted me after midnight to say he was talking to the Timberwolves but it wasn't until the next morning that I saw the interview with Tim Connelly. "That was pretty cool. I was buzzing when I saw that." The Summer League is a stepping stone towards an NBA contract as it gives undrafted players like CJ a chance to prove themselves on a bigger stage. He will suit up alongside the 17th overall pick in Joan Beringer and last year's 8th overall pick in Rob Dillingham. With plenty of celebrities spotted courtside during the 11-day tournament every summer it becomes the focal point of the basketball world every July. 'I head back to Minnesota this week for a short training camp and then we travel to Vegas from there.' The Timberwolves will travel to the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada. On July 10th they will face New Orleans at 2:30 CST (7:30 Irish time). Their schedule also includes games against the Denver Nuggets on the 12th, the Detroit Pistons on July 15th, and the Phoenix Suns, Pat Burke's former team, on the 16th, which will be available to watch on the ESPN app. 'It should be a really cool experience with a lot of top-level talent so hopefully I can give a good account of myself. 'I'm very grateful to the Timberwolves for the opportunity and for all the support I've received from back home." With 450 jobs in the NBA, it's uncertain whether CJ will sign a contract for the regular season; however, what is guaranteed is more scouts from the NBA's G League (development league) top-tier European clubs analyzing his game. While the golden era of Irish basketball is regarded as the success of the domestic league during the 80s and 90s. Fulton is leading the charge in what looks to become our most significant era, as a wave of young stars put Ireland on the basketball world map. And we inch closer and closer to seeing an Irishman back in the NBA.
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Silver medal for Murtagh while McCarthy and Pazzaia earn bronze at World Rowing Cup
IRELAND HAVE WON a silver and two bronze medals at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland. The final day of racing saw strong performances from Irish crews across both A and B Finals. Highlights included Fiona Murtagh's silver in the Women's Single Sculls and a bronze for Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia in the Men's Double Sculls, adding to the bronze medal won by Sadhbh Ní Laoighre and Tiarnán O'Donnell in Saturday's PR3 Mixed Double Sculls. Advertisement Fiona Murtagh (University of Galway Boat Club) claimed the silver medal in the Women's Single Sculls with a time of 07:18.63. Murtagh held second place throughout the race, consistently pushing the pace. At the 1000 metre mark, she trailed race favourite Lauren Henry of Great Britain by just 0.3 seconds and kept the pressure on to the finish. Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen Rowing Club) and Konan Pazzaia (Queen's University Belfast Boat Club) secured a bronze medal in the Men's Double Sculls, finishing third with a time of 06:11.65. Just one second separated the top three crews in a thrilling A Final. The Irish double set a strong pace from the start and led the race up until the final 250 metres. Powerful sprint finishes from New Zealand and Serbia saw them take first and second place. Paul O'Donovan (Skibbereen Rowing Club) and Daire Lynch (UCD Boat Club) finished fifth in the Men's Double Sculls with a time of 06:16.18. The crew were in sixth place with 500 metres to go in a very tight race. A strong sprint finish in the final stretch saw them overtake the Individual Neutral Athletes crew to claim fifth overall. Mags Cremen (UCC Boat Club) and Zoe Hyde (Tralee RC) finished sixth in the B Final of the Women's Double Sculls with a time of 07:01.76. It was a closely contested race from the start, with less than two seconds separating Ireland from the leading crew at the 1500-metre mark. Switzerland, the home favourites, went on to take the win in the B Final. The Women's Four of Claire Feerick (Neptune Rowing Club / Oxford Brookes), Natalie Long (Lee Valley Rowing Club), Aisling Hayes (Skibbereen Rowing Club), and Imogen Magner (Lee Valley Rowing Club) finished third in the B Final with a time of 06:41.23. In the final 200 metres, the crew made a strong push, closing the gap on Canada to less than a second at the line. The Men's Quadruple Sculls crew of Andrew Sheehan (UCC Rowing Club), Adam Murphy (UCC Rowing Club), Ronan Byrne (Shandon Boat Club), and Brian Colsh (University of Galway Boat Club) finished second in the B Final with a time of 05:50.78. Ireland sat in third at the 1000-metre mark but moved past home favourites Switzerland by 1500 metres to take second place. A sprint finish brought them within just 0.3 seconds of the winning crew from Czechia.
