Maro Itoje will be captaining the British & Irish Lions for the first time in their non-cap international match against Argentina in Dublin this Friday.

The England skipper Itoje will lead a starting XV that includes Marcus Smith at full-back and will be guided by England half-backs Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith.

Tadhg Furlong will have the chance to showcase his fitness after struggling with a calf injury that kept him out of Leinster's United Rugby Championship final win over the Bulls. Furlong is part of the bench alongside hooker Ronan Kelleher, who is the only player to feature in the end-of-season finals before facing the Pumas.

Head coach Andy Farrell congratulated Maro Itoje on his captaincy, praising his leadership during the team's time in Portugal and Dublin. This match will be the first opportunity to see what the 2025 Lions stand for as a team.

Furlong and Duhan van der Merwe are among the players looking to prove their fitness before the departure to Australia, with Furlong aiming to secure a spot in the Test series against the Wallabies.

As many as 14 players could make their Lions debuts in this match, including rising star Henry Pollock, the youngest player in the squad at 20 years old.

Argentina's Julian Montoya will lead the team against the Lions, just six days after playing in the Premiership final. The Pumas will be looking to challenge the Lions in this warm-up match before their summer tour of Australia.

Bautista Bernasconi, Boris Wenger, and Simon Benitez Cruz are set to make their first appearances for the Pumas if they come off the bench in this non-cap international.

Argentina previously faced the Lions in a warm-up match in 2005, resulting in a 25-25 draw against Sir Clive Woodward's team in Cardiff.