“`html
Los pumas Gear Up to Face British & Irish Lions in Dublin Friendly
Table of Contents
By Amelia Rodriguez | DUBLIN – 2025/06/10 14:56:33
Argentina’s national rugby team, Los Pumas, are preparing for a prestigious friendly match against the British & Irish Lions. The game will take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on friday, June 20th, at 16:00 local time.
The British & Irish Lions, a squad comprised of elite players from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, tours every four years, alternating between New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. This year, they are heading to Australia for a nine-game tour, including three test matches. The match against Los Pumas serves as a crucial warm-up and assessment prospect before their journey to face the Wallabies.
this encounter marks a important event,being the first time the Lions have played in Ireland. The Aviva Stadium, typically home to Irish rugby, will host this historic match.
The upcoming friendly has a historical precedent. In 2005,the two teams met in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in Wales. An Argentine team, substantially weakened by approximately twenty absences, managed a 25-25 draw. The Argentine side even included players who had come out of retirement, such as Mauricio Reggiardo. Despite the challenges, Argentina arguably should have won, but a late penalty by English player Johnny Wilkinson secured the draw for the home side after an unusually long period of added time.
Team Preparations and Key Absences
Unlike the 2005 match, Los Pumas will not be as heavily impacted by player absences this time around. Though, several key players who could have been in the starting lineup will be unavailable, including thomas Gallo, Marcos Kremer, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras, and Juan Cruz Mallia.
“It is an honor to have received the invitation of the British & Irish Lions…that they have summoned us for this event fills us with pride.”
– Felipe Contepomi
Felipe Contepomi, who captained Argentina in the 2005 match and is the current coach of the national team, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming game. He stated, “It is indeed an honor to have received the invitation of the British & Irish Lions. I know how prestigious it is for them to be part of that team, and that they have summoned us for this event fills us with pride.”
Contepomi also highlighted the importance of the match for los Pumas’ ongoing development: “It is a great challenge to resume where we leave in 2024 and continue with that search for continuous advancement. Each match is an opportunity to continue growing as a team and we take it with great responsibility.”
For the Dublin match, 32 players have been called up, including 11 who participated in this year’s Super Rugby Americas competition: Luciano Asevedo, Simón Benítez Cruz, and Nicolás Roger (Tarucas); Boris Wenger, Pedro Delgado, Leonel Oviedo, Agustín Moyano, and Faustino Sánchez Valarolo (Dogos XV); Joaquín Moro, Justo Piccardo, and Santiago Pernas (Pampas).
The Argentine squad and staff are scheduled to depart for Ireland this Friday,June 13th. Players involved in the finals of European Leagues,such as Captain Julián Montoya (Leicester),will join the team over the weekend.
los Pumas Squad Highlights
Forwards
francisco CORCIA Marchetti
Three Quarters
Faustino Sánchez Valarolo
