British and Irish Lions face anxious wait over fitness of Tomos Williams
The British and Irish Lions face an anxious wait over the fitness of Tomos Williams after the Wales scrum-half limped off in their 54-7 rout of Western Force.
Williams sustained an injury to his left hamstring during the act of scoring the second of his two tries early in the second half at Optus Stadium, ending another impressive performance for the Lions that was propelling him into Test contention.
While the extent of the damage is not yet known, it creates pressure on the tourists' half-back stocks with Jamison Gibson-Park yet to make his first appearance on tour due to a glute problem.
Gibson-Park is expected to make his comeback against the Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday but with Williams struggling and Alex Mitchell facing the prospect of playing in a third consecutive game, head coach Andy Farrell may be forced to call up a reinforcement.
'Tomos has come off holding his hamstring. There was plenty of cramp last week, let's hope it is one of those,' Farrell said.
'Jamison is fit and ready to go and has been training fully for the best part of a week so we're happy with that but you don't know until you know and we will only know in the morning.
'You have to let these things settle down and see what the outcome is and give it a little bit of space.
'Tomos was playing well and I'm sure there is a bit of concern there, but you can only deal with the here and now so fingers crossed.'
Ben White is currently on tour in New Zealand with Scotland and would be an obvious solution should Williams be ruled out for any length of time.
When asked about White, Farrell said: 'We need to talk about that and make the right call for the group.'
Joe McCarthy was named man of the match but the eight-try demolition in the first outing on Australian soil also saw eye-catching displays from Mack Hansen, James Lowe, Elliot Daly, Finn Russell and Henry Pollock.
All sides of Pollock were on show as the Lions' youngest tourist at 20-years-old used his athleticism and awareness to set up Williams' first try and almost scored one himself, while also providing the spark for a confrontation between the sides and being sent to the sin-bin for a ruck infringement.
'Henry got a yellow card because of repeated infringements – which was fair enough – but you also saw his point of difference, that's for sure,' Farrell said.
Pollock received strong praise from Dan Sheehan, the Ireland hooker who was captaining the Lions on his debut for the tourists, but there was also a reminder that the team comes first.
'Henry was brilliant. He does his own thing and plays his own way, which is different to a lot of the forwards,' Sheehan said.
'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's just about trying to make sure he's doing the right thing for the team all the time.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
37 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tom Lynch has a role to play in Richmond's rebuild but he failed against Adelaide
Whenever his great Richmond sides were struggling, Damien Hardwick would get his runner on the line. 'Get them to raise the fight!' he would scream. Tom Lynch's meltdown against Adelaide wasn't a case of following the coach's instructions. It was the act of a frustrated man. His team was totally outclassed. He hadn't touched the ball. He was being held. He was being double-teamed. He couldn't buy a free kick. He'd lead to the right spot and the ball would go sailing over his head. He was trying to be a leader, trying to be a physical presence, trying to bring life to a dull game, and hope to a lost cause. The Tigers' spearhead ended up taking out his frustrations on the closest bloke in the vicinity, Jordan Butts. If his roundhouse had connected, Butts would have been on his way to the Epworth hospital and Lynch wouldn't have played again this year. 'I didn't want to cause harm or anything like that,' he told Seven afterwards, not entirely convincingly. As it stands, Lynch is still looking at a hefty suspension. Lynch has always been a physical player, a footballer who's liberal with his elbows and not shy about barrelling anyone in his path. On the rare occasions he's been able to get on the park in recent years, the Tigers have looked a much better team. He's exactly the sort of player a rebuilding team needs – the type who can protect the kids, give a bit of lip and straighten them up structurally. But when you're bottoming out, you're going to have days like Lynch and the Tigers had at the MCG on Sunday. You're going to have days where opponents who weren't fit to polish your boots five years ago are mouthing off and running rings around you. You're going to have days where the forwards up the other end of the field are strolling into open goals while you have three or four defenders hanging off you. You're going to have days where you feel old and slow and angry and pretty much useless. And when you're wired like Lynch, you're going to lash out. He apologised to his teammates at half-time but there were shades of Jock Riley in the film The Club: 'She apologised later, but by then the damage had been done'. Richmond's champions were at the right age to bow out without copping the worst of the rebuild. They got their testimonials, book deals, laps of honour and media gigs. It's not so simple for the likes of Lynch, who is 32 and presumably has some good footy left in him. But his job is to stay physically sound, to protect the beanpoles around him and not let the inevitable frustrations of a rebuild get to him. He failed on that front against the Crows. He's awfully lucky – or more to the point, Butts is awfully lucky – that his haymaker didn't connect. A slightly better advertisement for the game was the Western Bulldogs and Sydney clash on Friday night. Right through the history of this sport, there are certain teams that fall short of winning a premiership, but which are tattooed in your memory for the way they played. Mine are Fitzroy in 1986, North Melbourne in 1993, Geelong in 2008 and Collingwood in 2022. They were attacking teams that neutral observers were drawn to, but which were invariably figured out and neutralised. Arsène Wenger's Arsenal were that team for about a decade and a half in as different sport. It looks great, it quickens the pulse, but it doesn't guarantee titles. Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion The Bulldogs would be that team for many this year. They are a terrific team to watch, and they've played four or five of the most entertaining games this year. But they always leave the door ajar. The Swans made them go down the well, and probably cost themselves with a few Ian Baker-Finch shanks. The turf was a lawsuit waiting to happen, but it was a match of the highest quality. The Dogs' challenge now, as their draw gets considerably easier, is to not stuff this up, to not toss away a double chance with some birdbrained performance against the 16th or 18th placed team. They're too good, and we're enjoying them too much, to waste another season like that. And then there's Carlton. There's always Carlton. There's so much more to be said about what's gone wrong, and what is to be done, and there's nowhere near enough space to do it justice here. You could set your watch to Mick Malthouse and Denis Pagan being collared for comment and being only too happy to blame it on everything but their own coaching. But you know things are really bad when Bruce Mathieson crawls out from under his pokie machines to say how crap they're going. 'One of the great Australians,' Sam Newman called him recently. I reckon I could find 25 million better ones. And I reckon I could find a few million solutions to the hot mess Carlton currently finds itself in.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'End of Shankland saga is nigh, but how will it unfold?'
Another day, another - kinda - update on the Lawrence Shankland we all know by now, Derek McInnes' squad have headed out to Spain for a warm-weather training camp and the Scotland striker is not with according to Hearts Standard editor Joel Sked, the offer of a contract from the Tynecastle club is still there and his future remains "in the balance"."It seems like it's business as usual, the contract is on the table for Lawrence Shankland - a contract which would still make him the highest paid player at the club," Sked told BBC Sportsound."I have no problem with him holding out to see if there are options."I think it's still in the balance, but at the very end stage where, one way or another, something has to be done."Hearts kick off their season on 12 July against Dunfermline in the League Cup group stage, so it's safe to say time is ticking."Hearts will need someone to replace him if he doesn't stay," Sked added. "I get why they're trying to wait as long as possible because I think trying to replace Shankland will be very, very difficult."I don't think it will be much more of a saga, I think we're coming to the end of it, which is needed for all parties."
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as Tomos Williams injury update imminent and star jets out to join Lions
Tonight's rugby news as Tomos Williams injury update imminent and star jets out to join Lions The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond. Tomos Williams of the British & Irish Lions (Image: Getty Images ) Here are your rugby evening headlines for Sunday, June 29. Tomos Williams injury update imminent The British and Irish Lions will provide a fitness update on Tomos Williams during a press conference scheduled to take place overnight UK time. Williams put in a stunning performance against Western Force in the first match in Australia over the weekend, scoring two tries and adding pace to the Lions attack. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. However, the Treorchy product left the field after scoring his second try, clutching his hamstring in the process. With concerns over Jamison Gibson-Park's fitness, Williams had seemingly played himself into Test contention ahead of Alex Mitchell, but now the Lions may have to call upon reinforcements. The Lions flew from Perth to Brisbane on Sunday ahead of their next match against Queensland Reds on Wednesday, July 2. Article continues below Head coach Farrell will speak to the media on Monday afternoon Australia time, which is set to be around 2.30am UK time, and will be able to provide an update on Williams there. England international Jack van Poortvliet was previously called up to train with the Lions following Gibson-Park's injury ahead of Leinster's URC final against the Bulls, but is now in Argentina with England. Scotland international Ben White is also a contender. Gibson-Park is expected to feature for the Lions soon. Kinghorn flies to Australia for Lions link-up Blair Kinghorn is flying out to link-up with the rest of the Lions squad following his Top 14 triumph yesterday. The Scotland full-back is due to land Down Under tomorrow after helping Toulouse beat Bordeaux in a dramatic fashion, with the former triumphing in extra time 39-33. For some, Kinghorn is favourite to start the Test series at full-back and Andy Farrell will no doubt be relieved that the player lasted all 100 minutes at the Stade de France and will be raring to go after meeting up with his new team-mates. The Scot, who this afternoon posted a photo on social media of him having boarded the plane to Australia, said of his anticipation for the Lions series after the win: "I have been so focused on Toulouse stuff that I have not really thought about it too much. "It feels a bit weird, to be honest. It's only like the last couple of days when I have had to pack and everything, it's like, all right, I'm heading out there now.' Speaking about the win over Wester Force, he added: 'It's always tough coming together. Everyone expects you to be like a great team from the get-go, but you don't have those connections. So it's good to see that they bounced back and got a great win.' Tuipulotu laughs off Aussie gag By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Perth Sione Tuipulotu insists the British and Irish Lions must continue to shrug off any provocation during their tour of Australia after their overseas-born contingent were attacked by the Tannoy announcer at Optus Stadium. Tuipulotu, one of eight players in Andy Farrell's squad who were born, raised and educated in the southern hemisphere, was among those caught in the crosshairs before Saturday's 54-7 rout of Western Force. "Another Aussie at number 12, Sione Tuipulotu," was how the Scotland centre was introduced when the team was read out for the Lions' opening match on Australian soil. Mack Hansen, James Lowe and Pierre Schoeman were also referenced by the nation of their birth rather than their adopted country, for whom they have qualified either through residency or family heritage. It continued a theme from the hosts that began when Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt described Tuipulotu and New Zealand-born Ireland international Bundee Aki as a "southern-hemisphere centre partnership" in the build-up to the defeat by Argentina in Dublin. Tuipulotu emphasised the words "good humour" when brushing aside the jibes that he expected on his return Down Under. "I knew there would be some 'good humour' coming back home to Australia. These are all things we've got to take in our stride," he said. "To not announce the elephant in the room, I am from Australia. I was born here. I don't know how funny that gag is to everyone! "I'm loving my rugby playing for the Lions and I'm really passionate about it. Andy's brought the group together so well." The victory in Perth exposed several shortcomings such as a high penalty count and creaking set-piece, but there was also much to admire in the attacking exuberance that produced eight classy tries. Tougher tests than the Force await on tour but combined with the evidence gathered from the Aviva Stadium eight days earlier, Farrell's Lions are clearly keen to keep the ball alive - and on this occasion the passes stuck. Finn Russell was at the heart of onslaught in his first outing of the tour and the Scot's instinctive play drew approval from Farrell, who declared: "He's ready to go. And that's good." Tuipulotu, who expects to be firing by the Test series as he continues his comeback from a significant ankle injury, said: "We're taking ideas from all the nations. "Obviously, the coaching style is very Ireland dominant and there are a lot of ideas that we're getting from the Irish coaches, but then those ideas are being sprinkled on. "When Finn comes in, he plays his style. He plays to the structure of the team, but he's a very instinctive player and he wants to play what's directly in front of his face. "There's a mixture there and that's what's going to make it hard to defend for opposition teams. "They're not necessarily defending a structure of play, they're defending a structure of play with really supreme individuals conducting it like Finn. "Finn's a world-class number 10 and he's been here, been there, done that. He's come off a really good season after winning the Premiership with Bath and I thought him and Tomos Williams controlled the game really well. "We're still growing, there's a lot of growth left in us but the identity at least, you could see how we try to play the game out there." Welsh club pays tribute to the late Ian Hall Swansea RFC have paid tribute to Ian Hall. The centre played for Pontypridd and Aberavon before going on to earn international honours between 1967 and 1974. He passed away at the age of 79 on June 11. After his playing career finished, Hall went into coaching in the 1980s. He achieved great success alongside Stan Addicott at Swansea, and in his very first season they won the following: the Western Mail Unofficial Welsh Championship, Whitbread Merit Table, Daily Mail Anglo-Welsh Championship and Sunday Telegraph Team of the Season As part of their statement, Swansea said: "Ian Hall left his mark at St Helen's as a no nonsense coach and all at St Helen's wish to pass their condolences on to his family at this difficult time." Off the field, Hall was a policeman who rose to the rank of inspector, and even played for the South Wales Police rugby team. Rugby fans and friends took to social media to pay tribute to Hall's life. "Main man, so many great memories of Ian, a lovely man who cared, so sad," wrote one. "Such sad news, condolences to the family. Ian was a great inspector and story-teller," wrote another. Article continues below Family and friends will say one final goodbye to Hall at Margam Crematorium on July 2.
