Lions player ratings vs Argentina: Marcus Smith 6, Bundee Aki 8
Rugby NewsFriday, 20 June 2025 at 21:56
Lions player ratings vs Argentina as Andy Farrell's men opened their 2025 tour at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
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The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour is officially up and running, as Andy Farrell's side were in action tonight for a warm-up Test against Argentina.
It was a tough fight for the Lions, with plenty of creases to be ironed out ahead of the trip to Australia. The tough fought battle ended 28-24, in what was an unforgettable day for Los Pumas.
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: 24
- Tries: Aki (19), Penalty (46), Beirne (53)
- Cons: Smith (20,54)
- Pens: Smith (10)
ARGENTINA: 28
- Tries: Mendy (12), Albornoz (41). Cordero (59)
- Cons: Albornoz (42,60)
- Pens: Albornoz (5,26,40)
Lions player ratings vs Argentina:
15. Marcus Smith 6
His first cap for the Lions at fullback, Smith stepped up with Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan out of selection. Opted to kick his first carry up from the back-field, despite the encouragement from the Lions fans to run the ball back. Covered well to deny a try at 35 minutes, as he was tackled with the ball over his own try-line. Just one step slower than Santiago Cordero, who won the foot race to the ball over the Lions' try line. Question marks on his positioning with gaps left in the Lions defence.
14. Tommy Freeman 6.5
Fired up and racing for his Lions debut, Freeman made a nice chasing tackle in the early goings. Wrapped around for some nice attacking moves with his fellow wing van der Merwe. Couldn't catch Ignacio Mendy in time to deny Argentina the opening try. Caught up in an areal battle, that left him needing some medical attention as Mack Hansen warmed up. Freeman soldiered on and produced a nice carry at the 57th minute, a tough knock on from a clearance kick opitimised a tricky afternoon for the wing.
13. Sione Tuipulotu 7
Started off the match with some exciting carries and linked passes upon his Lions debut. Tough to have his try dissallowed after powering through to dot down under the posts, as Alex Mitchell's knock on cancelled out his score. Couldn't collect the offload from Freeman, with a full head of steam as he charged for the line at 30 minutes. Another solid carry saw the Glasgow man spin through contact shortly after the re-start. Exciting signs for the Lions centres for the next few weeks.
12. Bundee Aki (off at 60 for Daly) 8
The Irish bulldozer formed an exciting partnership with Sione Tuipulotu, and was off to the races with some heavy carries. Says 'I’ll do it myself', to power over three Argentine defenders for the Lions first (non-disallowed) try. A stand-out performer in a well-tested Lions side, Aki was the best attacking option for Andy Farrell once again.
11. Duhan van der Merwe (off at 60 for Hansen) 6.5
Big carry to get the fans off their feet after six minutes. Side-stepped by Ignacio Mendy, as the Pumas wing skipped away for the opening try of the match. Not the return to rugby he would have wanted after overcoming an ankle injury in time for the tour.
10. Fin Smith 7
Penalised in the early goings of his Lions debut, after killing the ball at the breakdown. The Pumas then struck first with a penalty. Not afraid to make the commanding decisions and kick the Lions to the corner, despite this being his first cap in red. A couple of errors amongst classy play results in an above average grading, with Smith putting down a marker for his run as the Test match 10.
9. Alex Mitchell (Off at 49 for Williams) 6.5
Threw an outrageous out-the-back offload on his own try-line, to send the ball to Freeman and clear it out of danger. The culprit of a knock-on which cancelled out Tuipulotu's try. Sent some wayward kicks, unlike his normal pinpoint marksmanship.
1. Ellis Genge (Off at 60 for Schoeman) 7.5
Given a few talkings to by the referee at scrum-time, with Andrew Porter shown to be watching on from the stands. Made a stand-out carry at the 52nd minute, as he bounced through a pair of Pumas in the lead up to Tadhg Beirne's try. A big tempo lift from the Bristol man before his exit on the hour mark.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Off at 49 for Kelleher) 6.5
The hooker thought he'd scored the first try of the tour after just seven minutes, but a review of the grounding saw that Cowan-Dickie had knocked the ball on at the deck. Laid the foundations of the Lions maul which resulted in a penalty try, early in the second half.
3. Finlay Bealham (Off at 60 for Furlong) 6
A solid scrummaging effort upon his Lions debut. The Connacht man won a scrum penalty at the 28-minute mark to pin pressure on the Pumas. He would then be penalised at the scrum at 51 minutes, before being withdrawn for his fellow countryman Tadhg Furlong.
4. Maro Itoje (c) (Off at 72 for Cummings) 7
His first Test as Lions captain, Itoje was forced to lead from the front as Argentina put the Lions under boundless pressure. The lock ruled the skies with his set-piece prowess, yet was not as disruptive at the breakdown as he'd been in recent England appearances.
5. Tadhg Beirne 8
Comfortably claimed the first high ball of the match, before an early steal turned over possession for the first time. At full stretch he won a line-out, in the build-up to his own try at 52 minutes. A relentless workhorse who could well be the unsung hero of the tour, Beirne was once again brilliant at the Aviva, yet a 77th-minute penalty for a high shot was a blemish on his day.
6. Tom Curry 7
Some clattering tackles from the Sale back row, saw Curry rip into Argentina in his customary fashion. An arduous effort saw him constantly at the bottom of the breakdowns, with a tireless work rate around the park. Partnered up well with Pollock and Earl for the all-English back row that ended the match.
7. Jac Morgan (off at 49 for Pollock) 6.5
Lions debut for the only Welshman in the starting XV. Morgan made a crucial turnover at the 33rd minute, as the Pumas started to gain momentum in the Lions 'red zone'. Not the highlight reel he'd been in Wales' latest Six Nations campaign, with his wait for a Test match victory extending even now in Lions colours.
8. Ben Earl 7
Lions debut for the back row, yet the regularly loud eight-man had a quiet first half. Came to life in the second half, with a line-breaking carry out of his own red zone that got a real lift from the crowd. On hand to dig in for the hard yards when the going got tough for the men in red.
REPLACEMENTS:
16. Ronan Kelleher 6
Lions debut and the only Leinsterman in the match day squad, after his replacement role in the URC Final. An overthrown line-out on the Argentina 5m was a gut-punch on his efforts at the 71st minute.
17. Pierre Schoeman 7.5
A resounding 'schooooeee' rang around the Aviva as his name was announced ahead of the match. Constantly working to be on the ball, with each carry greeted by his regular chant. The Scotsman got a real lift from the crowd, that was reflected in his efforts.
18. Tadhg Furlong 6
The Leinster and Ireland legend is out for one last run in the famous red, with Furlong back from injury in time for the trip to Australia. It wasn't a momentous return for the prop, yet he did anchor the scrum effort well in the latter stages.
19. Scott Cummings 6
Lions debut for the talented Scottish lock, who helped the second-half effort against the resilient Pumas.
20. Henry Pollock 7
The youngest Lion in the squad, Pollock put aside his duties of taking care of Bil the teddy to make his Lions debut. Received a solid ovation off the bench and was immediately involved with the ball in hand. Unafraid to test the waters of life as a Lion with a few involvements.
21. Tomos Williams 6
Making his Lions debut after being the Premiership's stand-out scrum half for the 2024/25 season. Lifted the attacking tempo upon his hour mark arrival, as the Lions chased the game into the last 20 minutes.
22. Elliot Daly 6.5
The versatile England back was brought into the Lions for his Swiss-army knife-like adaptability. Zigged and zagged his way through the Pumas defence, it always took a couple of Argentines to bring Daly down.
23. Mack Hansen 6.5
The enigmatic Ireland wing is a fan favourite around the Aviva. Brought the crowd to their feet with a carving carry at the 70th minute mark.
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- First-Ever Grandson of a Lion Becomes a Lion against Argentina tonight
- Henry Pollock leaves coaches stunned with freakish gym stats
- Louis Rees-Zammit Unveils Dramatic Body Transformation
Can You Name Every 2021 British & Irish Lions Player?
Think you remember the 2021 Lions tour of South Africa? It’s been a few years since that brutal, bruising, and controversial Test series — but true rugby heads never forget.
- 42 players were named in Warren Gatland’s final squad
- The Lions won the First Test 22-17, but the Springboks hit back to win the series 2-1
- The decider? A gritty 19-16 Springbok victory that still stings for many fans
Now it's time to test your memory.
- How many of those 42 Lions can you name?
- No hints. No positions. Just rugby IQ.
- You’ve got 5 minutes.
Take the quiz, scroll down, and start typing.
Let’s see what you’re made of.
Let’s see what you’re made of.
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