LIONS TO CALL UP EXTRA PLAYERS TO COVER TRAINING CAMP SHORTAGE
The British and Irish Lions have drawn up a contingency to bring in extra players in the training week leading into their warm-up game against Argentina when they could be missing up to 22 squad members.
Head coach Andy Farrell will hold a warm-weather training camp in Portugal in the week before the fixture against the Pumas in Dublin on June 20. However, that training camp would overlap with the climax to the domestic season with the Premiership and United Rugby Championship finals taking place on June 14.
Should Leinster, who boast a record 12 Lions, and Glasgow Warriors, who have four players, reach the URC final and Bath and Saracens, who have five players between them, contest the Premiership final, then Farrell would be without 21 players while Toulouse full-back Blair Kinghorn is likely to be involved in the Top 14 play-offs.
It is understood that several players will be on standby to come into Farrell’s squad in that eventuality, although they will not stay with the team when they fly to Australia. However, the Lions are mindful to avoid a repeat of the “geography six” controversy from the 2017 tour to New Zealand when head coach Warren Gatland called up six players based on their geographical proximity with the Lions facing a short turnaround between matches.
Instead, Farrell will call up those players who are already at the top of his standby list to help integrate them into the squad should they receive a summons to head Down Under later on in the tour.
Farrell could have no hookers for first training week
Four years ago, Gatland was missing 12 players from his 37-man squad that went to Jersey before their send-off game against Japan at Murrayfield and would call up Ireland hooker Ronan Kelleher with Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie involved in the Premiership final.
It is easy to see a similar pinch point occurring this time. Should Leinster, Bath and Sale reach their respective finals then Farrell would be left with no hookers and only one tighthead prop for a crucial first training week.
This could grant a second chance to former England captain Ellis George and Wales hooker Dewi Lake to come into the camp and make an impression. After announcing his 38-man squad in London on Thursday, Farrell indicated that there were two more spaces up for grabs depending on form and fitness.
The players involved in the domestic finals will link up with the wider Lions squad on June 16, which would leave just a four-day turnaround leading into the Argentina game. There are no regulations which would preclude Farrell from selecting players involved in those finals, but it is likely that at least some players called up as training cover would feature in Dublin.
Speaking on Thursday, Farrell admitted that he was prepared to be flexible. “It leaves a bit of wiggle room, because obviously it’s six weeks before we leave these shores anyway, so there’s all sorts of things that could happen,” Farrell said.
“Fingers crossed to the players that are selected, they don’t [get injured], but we’ve left ourselves some wiggle room to be able to see how people progress because there are a few guys that are trying to play back into fitness form, etc, you know, so we’ll see what we’ve got and if or when that’s needed, we’d like to call them.”
2025-05-09T16:09:49Z