logo
Lions boss Andy Farrell issues Tomos Williams update after Wales star's injury

Lions boss Andy Farrell issues Tomos Williams update after Wales star's injury

Wales Online4 hours ago

Lions boss Andy Farrell issues Tomos Williams update after Wales star's injury
Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams hobbled off injured against Western Force on 50 minutes
Lions coach Andy Farrell speaking to Sky Sports
(Image: Sky Sports )
Andy Farrell has provided an update on Tomos Williams after the Wales star limped off injured in the win over Western Force on Saturday.
The Lions began their tour with a comprehensive victory over the Perth-based side but they were made to work for it in the first half, with the hosts fronting up well.
After the break the away team pulled away, eventually running out 7-54 winners.
Williams scored two of the tourists' eight tries in an impressive 50 minutes on the pitch, but there will be huge concern in the Lions camp tonight after the Gloucester man sustained an injury while scoring his second.
After good link-up play with Mack Hansen, Williams dotted the ball down in acrobatic fashion but immediately clutched his left hamstring when rising from the turf. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
England international Will Greenwood, working for Sky Sports, said after it happened: "I'm just hoping Tom Williams is OK. Rob Howley, 1997, right in amongst it, did his shoulder against the Sharks.
Article continues below
"And a hamstring.... ooooh.... fingers crossed for him."
Sam Warburton added: "Firstly you take no chances, especially with fast and explosive players like Tomos, get him off straight away.
"If he's going to be limping like that, you're looking like he's going to miss next week, the midweek game for certain."
Williams was replaced by Alex Mitchell.
Farrell has now provided an update on the former Cardiff Rugby number nine, saying on Sky Sports post-match: "It's a tight hamstring, so.
"You don't know what these things are like. Hopefully it's a bit of cramp. We'll assess that, certainly in the morning."
On the game, Farrell added: "Again, a new-ish team. Plenty of learning from last week and the same again from this week.
"When we get out composure in the second half we were able be nice and calm.
"I mean, let's be honest, the Force took it to us. I thought they played a tough high-percentage game. They kept the ball really well and we kept them in good field position through our ill-discipline.
"It was a real good test for us in that first half, glad how we composed ourselves at half-time and kept our composure throughout the second half.
"There are nine new caps there. A couple of lads have not played they will get to play in the next couple of games.
"It is nice to get tries on the board and a few good individual performances. That is all good for the future, and we have to keep pushing one another.
Article continues below
"If you want to look what a Lion should do for his team-mates is when Mack Hansen went up and down the field and fought for his team-mates.
"That's the sort of spirit we want."
The Lions are back in action in midweek against Queensland Reds on Wednesday (11am UK time).

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Lions should call up Ben White after Tomos Williams injury scare
Lions should call up Ben White after Tomos Williams injury scare

Times

time34 minutes ago

  • Times

Lions should call up Ben White after Tomos Williams injury scare

Tomos Williams faces a nervous wait to discover whether his British & Irish Lions tour is over after he injured his left hamstring in the win over the Western Force. The Welsh scrum half, 30, scored two excellent tries at the Optus Stadium in Perth in the 54-7 win. However in the process of scoring his second, 47 minutes in, Williams clutched his hamstring. He departed straight away and sat on the plastic seats pitchside with ice on his left leg for the remainder of the second half. Andy Farrell, the Lions head coach, said Williams was concerned about the injury, but he will wait for scan results before he decides whether to call up another scrum half either as cover or an official replacement.

Lions dealt scrum-half blow with Tomos Williams's tour in doubt after hamstring injury
Lions dealt scrum-half blow with Tomos Williams's tour in doubt after hamstring injury

Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Telegraph

Lions dealt scrum-half blow with Tomos Williams's tour in doubt after hamstring injury

Tomos Williams's Lions tour is in major peril after the Wales scrum-half exited the 54-17 victory over the Western Force with a hamstring injury. Williams has been in outstanding form this season and was crowned Premiership Player of the Season. An impressive cameo off the bench in the 28-24 defeat to Argentina followed and he picked up where he left off at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The Gloucester half-back got the Lions' second try after supporting a searing break by Henry Pollock and formed an instant understanding with Scotland fly-half Finn Russell. Yet in the process of scoring his second try after a rapid exchange of passes with James Lowe, Williams immediately clasped his left hamstring and was replaced by Alex Mitchell. From one end to another in NO TIME! ⚡️ Tomos Williams finishes off a flowing Lions counterattack! 😍 — Sky Sports (@SkySports) June 28, 2025 After the match Andy Farrell was unaware of the extent of the damage but is hoping that the injury will not prove to be a tour-ender. 'He has come off holding his hamstring,' the Lions head coach said. 'There was plenty of cramp last week, let's hope it is one of those. 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.' The Lions are particularly vulnerable at scrum-half where Jamison Gibson-Park has not played since Leinster's United Rugby Championship semi-final victory against Glasgow Warriors on 7 June due to a glute injury. Farrell insists Gibson-Park is available for selection for the next warm-up match against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday, although if Williams is not replaced then Mitchell will have to play in his third successive match. 'Jamison is fit and ready to go and has been training fully for the best part of a week,' Farrell said. 'We are happy with that but you don't know until you do and we will only know in the morning. I don't know 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.' Should Williams be ruled out then it would leave flanker Jac Morgan as the sole Wales representative in Farrell's 38-man squad. Toulon scrum-half Ben White is the likeliest call-up having just landed in Auckland ahead of Scotland's match against the New Zealand Maori and could be in place for the match against the Reds in Brisbane. However, centre Sione Tuipulotu says the possible loss of Williams, who had an ice pack on his hamstring after the game, would be a huge loss to the squad. 'We're hoping that it is not too serious so he can still be available for us,' Tuipulotu said. 'He's played really well today and offers us a bit of an energy plug doesn't he? After the season that he has had and getting to know him over the last couple of weeks I just really hope it's not anything serious and he can come back and contribute.' Williams' injury took the gloss off a decent victory for the Lions, who ran in eight tries in their first tour match on Australian soil. The tourists did have issues with their discipline in the first half as well as their restart work throughout the match. 'We need to catch them,' Farrell said bluntly of the discipline. Otherwise he declared himself reasonably satisfied with the performance and the result. 'I am happy with the scoreline and how we got to that point because it wasn't always going our way,' Farrell said. 'We fixed things up and played some good rugby and scored some nice tries. There is still plenty to go off as you would expect so early in the tour and in a side with nine new caps that has never played together.' Who could replace Williams if scrum-half's tour is over? Ben White (Toulon and Scotland) Possibly unlucky not to have made the original squad, White has the immediate advantage of proximity having just landed in Auckland ahead of Scotland's match against the New Zealand Maori next weekend. He also offers a ready-made connection with Finn Russell and would go some way to replacing Williams' sniping ability. Ben Spencer (Bath and England) If Russell is your starting Test fly-half and you want to build the best possible half-back partnership then Spencer is your man. Overlooked by England for the tour to Argentina, Spencer and Russell guided Bath to the Premiership title. Also happens to be the best box kicker in the business which could prove an important weapon in the Test series. Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester and England) Technically Van Poortvliet has already been called up by the Lions having been in to cover Gibson-Park's absence in the build-up to the Argentina game in Dublin. After a rocky couple of years, Van Poortvliet looks back to the player who made such an impact on his debut in England's tour of Australia in 2022.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store