Tomos Williams injury leaves Farrell's Lions facing race to fill scrum-half slot
The British & Irish Lions are weighing up their scrum-half options after an injury to Tomos Williams that threatens to sideline the Welshman at the busiest stage of the squad's Australian tour.
The head coach, Andy Farrell, said a decision on calling up a replacement would be made on Sunday, with Scotland's Ben White among the leading contenders to replace Williams at No 9.
Williams contributed two tries in a fine all-round performance as the Lions eased to a 54-7 victory over Western Force but tweaked his left hamstring while diving over the line for his second score. It leaves the Lions with only two fit scrum-halves, one of whom – Jamison Gibson-Park – has been managing a strained glute muscle.
Farrell said Gibson-Park would be fit to face the Queensland Reds on Wednesday but the Lions will need some cover if Williams is ruled out even for a short period, with Alex Mitchell as the only available option in the position. White has just arrived in New Zealand, where Scotland are due to kick off their summer tour against the Maori All Blacks next Saturday, and could easily hop on a plane to Brisbane if required.
For the moment, Farrell is still waiting to learn the severity of the injury to Williams, the Premiership's player of the season with Gloucester. 'There was plenty of cramp last week, let's hope it is one of those,' said Farrell. 'He was playing well and I am sure there is a bit of concern there, but you can only deal with the here and now so fingers crossed.'
Farrell, however, is adamant that there is no danger of Gibson-Park sitting out the Reds game. 'Jamison is fit and ready to go and has been training fully for the best part of a week. We are happy with that but we will only know [about Williams] in the morning.
'I don't what the timings are of that, with the flights, but you have to let these things settle down and give it a little bit of space. There is always something that is going to happen you are not quite sure about, that is the nature of the tour. We need to make the right call for the group.'
Sir James Wates CBE has been appointed chair of the Rugby Football Union board.
He takes over the role from Sir Bill Beaumont, who was named chair on an interim basis in December last year following the resignation of Tom Ilube.
Wates is currently a board director of the Wates Group, a privately-owned construction, development and property service company in the UK and served as chairman between 2013 and 2023. PA Media
Of their opening game in Australia, Farrell declared himself moderately satisfied with the result in the wake of the Lions' defeat by Argentina in Dublin last week. 'I am happy with the scoreline and how we got to that point because it wasn't always going our way. We fixed things up and played some good rugby and scored some nice tries.'
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He was pleased, too, with the performances of Mack Hansen and the youthful Henry Pollock, despite the latter being sent to the sin-bin just before half-time. 'He got a yellow card because of repeated infringements, which was fair enough, but you saw his point of difference, that is for sure. He is learning all the time and there is plenty to work on to make sure we are the team we want to be. He is part of that.'
Pollock also received a positive review from the Lions' captain for the day, Dan Sheehan. 'I thought he was brilliant today,' the Ireland hooker said. 'He does his own thing, he plays his own way which is probably different to a lot of the forwards. I enjoy that kind of rugby: off the cuff, see what's in front of you and make it happen. With his skillset and speed he can certainly make it happen.
'It is just about trying to make sure he is doing the right thing for the team all the time. All these big games are massive for him, massive for all of us. He will just get better and better from here.'
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Telegraph
an hour ago
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Ranked: The 30 greatest fast bowlers in Test history
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie teen Maya Joint wins crucial Wimbledon warm-up tournament - while opponent was left in tears
Teenage sensation Maya Joint has earned an epic, backs-to-the-wall maiden grass-court triumph at the Eastbourne International to give Australia's challenge at Wimbledon the perfect launch pad. The remarkable US-born 19-year-old, who's been making a stratospheric rise in the sport since relocating to Queensland less than two years ago, saved four match points on her way to defeating fellow rising star Alexandra Eala in a pulsating tiebreak finale on Saturday (Sunday AEST). It meant Joint became the first Australian player to win the women's title in the 50-year history of the British seaside event which has become the traditional curtain raiser for the grass-court grand slam which begins on Monday. 'It's been an amazing year, an amazing two years,' beamed Joint at Devonshire Park, while saluting the Aussie coach Chris Mahony she credits for transforming her career. 'Thank you for everything you've done. You're a lifesaver,' she told him on court. The astonishing 6-4 1-6 7-6 (12-10) win rocketed Brisbane-based Joint, who only turned 19 in April, to No.41 in the world when she kicks off her maiden Wimbledon with a tough opener against Russian No.19 seed Liudmila Samsonova on Tuesday. 'I'm very happy right now, feeling very relieved as well. It was a very difficult match. In that third set, and I'm proud of myself for coming back and staying in the match, even though I'd lost about nine of the last 10 games,' said Joint. She had been 5-2 down, and almost out, in the final breaker, having to come up with fabulous defensive scrabbling to stay in contention as Eala came agonisingly close to becoming the Philippines' first ever WTA champion. But the teenage daughter of former Sydney squash professional Michael Joint demonstrated real courage and calm in a terrific showdown which, after a nervy spell from both players as they both homed in on the title, really hit the heights in the youngest final since Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger in 1981. For Eala, who's become a young heroine in the Philippines, it was all so crushing after Joint sealed the deal with a backhand cross-court winner that the 20-year-old ended in tears, with the Australian trying to console her that 'we will definitely play in more finals'. Remarkably, Joint's run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open five weeks ago also came on the weekend before a grand slam, and she then got knocked out in the first round by Ajla Tomljanovic. 'It's really great preparation. I've got a lot of matches in before Wimbledon, and hopefully I can be in Wimbledon a little bit longer than I was in the French,' said Joint. 'I think this time's a tiny bit different. I get one more day of rest, and I'll just detach myself a little bit more from the last match, and just focus on the match coming up. 'But I'm just really excited to get to London later today, and step into Wimby for the first time.' For Eala, who's become a young heroine in the Philippines, it was all so crushing that the 20-year-old ended in tears Of Samsonova, a tough customer who's reached the last-16 in three grand slams, Joint shrugged: 'I haven't played her before, so I don't know too much about her. 'When I get to Wimbledon, I'll just take a walk around, have some strawberries and cream - I love strawberries and cream.' The news quickly spread to the youngster's friends and colleagues at Wimbledon 120km north of the seaside town, leaving Daria Kasatkina, who won the tournament last year before she switched her allegiance to Australia, delighted for her Eastbourne hitting partner. 'I practised with her before Eastbourne, and she actually had a little struggle playing on grass, and I could see she was a bit, let's say, depressed about the practice,' revealed the woman who's Australia's No.1 ahead of Joint.
