Julian Montoya is set to captain Argentina in a highly anticipated match against the British and Irish Lions at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. This clash, scheduled for Friday, 20 June, promises to be a spectacle of rugby union at its finest.

Montoya, who recently concluded his five-season stint with Leicester Tigers, is transitioning to French side Pau this summer. His leadership will be pivotal as Argentina aims to secure a victory against the formidable Lions.

Argentina's lineup features Santiago Carreras at full-back, who is making a move from Gloucester to Bath. Tomas Albornoz will take the fly-half position, while the back row is bolstered by Juan Martin Gonzalez from Saracens, alongside the experienced Pablo Matera and Joaquin Oviedo from Perpignan.

However, the Pumas will be without several key players, including Juan Cruz Mallia from Toulouse and Guido Petti from Bordeaux-Begles, who are engaged in the Top 14 play-offs. Prop Thomas Gallo is also absent from the squad.

Argentina's Team:

• Backs: Carreras; Isgro, Cinti, Piccardo, Mendy; Albornoz, Garcia
• Forwards: Vivas, Montoya (c), Sclavi, Molina, Rubiolo, Matera, Gonzalez, Oviedo
• Replacements: Bernasconi, Wenger, Coria Marchetti, Grondona. S, Moro, Benitez Cruz, Moroni, Cordero

Head Coach Felipe Contepomi expressed his satisfaction with the team's preparation, stating, "We haven't been together for seven months and now getting together with lots of new faces it has been a challenge, but the guys have been magnificent." He added, "They are training with a lot of intensity, we are very pleased with how they adapted."

Contepomi also highlighted the challenge of predicting the Lions' strategy, which has simplified Argentina's approach. "For us it is very good, because we needed to focus on us and what we want to do and how we want to do it," he said.

Argentina, ranked fifth in the world, secured three wins in last year's Rugby Championship. The Lions, on the other hand, will announce their team at 14:00 BST. Head Coach Andy Farrell faces the challenge of managing players who, like Montoya, are coming off domestic finals.

Leinster trio Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Furlong, and Hugo Keenan are recovering from injuries and will be given more time to recuperate. Following the match against Argentina, the Lions will head to Perth to face the Western Force on 28 June.

This encounter is not just a test of skill but also of resilience and strategy, as both teams vie for supremacy in the rugby union arena.