Mack Hansen may miss first Lions Test against Australia with foot injury

Times

4 days ago

Mack Hansen is a doubt for the British & Irish Lions' first Test against Australia on Saturday, having picked up a foot injury.
The Lions wing, 27, hurt his foot in the 48-0 win over the Australia & New Zealand Invitational XV. While the Lions have not ruled him out officially, Hansen has been unable to train fully, with only one session left before Andy Farrell names his 23-man for the first match against the Wallabies on Thursday.
Blair Kinghorn, the Scottish utility back, 28, is in a similar boat to Hansen. Ollie Chessum trained with heavy strapping on his right knee on Tuesday, but the Lions have said it is only Kinghorn and Hansen who are not training fully, alongside Garry Ringrose and Luke Cowan-Dickie, who are both out with concussion.
On Hansen, the Lions assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth said: 'He hurt his foot in the game, I don't think it is anything serious but he was managed today. Hopefully he will be fully integrated pretty quickly.
'It is nothing that we are overly concerned about but we need to make sure we have enough numbers at training. It doesn't look too serious.
'We'll have to see tomorrow what Blair looks like. He hasn't trained fully with the squad but he has been on his feet so we will know a bit more in the [next] 24 hours whether we can get him on the field.
'A bit like Blair, we will find out tomorrow on Mack, he didn't train fully today so we will know a bit more tomorrow. We have obviously got good players in that position so we are covered for every eventuality there.
'We've not finalised anything yet. Mack's definitely not ruled out.'
With those two backs struggling for fitness, Farrell's selection picture is becoming clearer. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell are expected to pair up at half back. With Ringrose out, Huw Jones is now the only true outside centre available.
If Kinghorn and Hansen do not pull through, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe and Tommy Freeman look set to make up the back three.
Wigglesworth explained that the Lions moved quickly to call up Darcy Graham from Scotland's tour in New Zealand to cover these fresh injuries.
'We need to make sure we're covered numbers-wise and for the games coming up. That was probably expedited a bit quicker because of Blair and Mack not being on feet today and potentially tomorrow,' he said.
Wigglesworth believes that Australia will try to dominate the Lions both in the air and at the breakdown.
'What we're clear on is that they'll come with a very clear plan. We think the breakdown and aerial game will be big, but we think we're pretty good there too,' he said. When asked about the prowess of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, he talked up Freeman.
'[Playing against Suaalii is] probably the same as it is to play against Tommy Freeman,' he said.
'These guys are pretty difficult to stop if you execute well. We know now that the chaser has all the advantage, not only in knowing the kick is coming, but the advancement onto the ball and not having to catch it. We know we've got to deal with the aerial threats of Australia as well as they deal with ours.
'[Suaalii] is an exceptionally talented boy. If you think it's just aerial, he's going to run around you, offload and do the things he can do. But we've got guys with similar skill sets who are going to cause our own problems.
'He's a big-game player, a guy who's used to being in big situations. If we execute, then our boys will be in the game too.'
There will be a lively selection debate about the back row and locks, and how to balance the Lions' forward pack. Maro Itoje will captain the side in the first Test and Jack Conan is expected to start at No8, but Farrell must decide between Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and Ben Earl to fill the other spots, and whether Henry Pollock makes the bench.