Latest news with #Lions2025Tour
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Advantage Australia: Lions sweat on Wallabies rejects
And just like that, there are more Australian players in the British & Irish Lions squad than Welshmen. Canberra born-and-raised prop Finlay Bealham, now plying his trade in Ireland, has been drafted into Andy Farrell's touring squad for the upcoming showpiece series in Australia following the withdrawal of Scotland front-rower Zander Fagerson with a calf injury. Hailing from the same esteemed ACT high school as former Wallabies Matt Giteau and twins Anthony and Saia Faingaa, among others, Bealham has made 51 Test appearances for Ireland after leaving Australia searching for opportunities as a teenager some 15 years ago. Despite being selected for the national schoolboys' team and representing Australia A side, Bealham was not offered a place in the Brumbies academy and instead ventured to Ireland to start his professional career. Tighthead prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of the #Lions2025 Tour with a calf injury, with Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham called up to replace him ⬇️ — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 9, 2025 However the 33-year-old is now viewed by the Brumbies, Bealham is certainly well respected by Wallabies mentor Joe Schmidt, who presented the tighthead his first Test cap as Ireland coach in 2016. "It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the tour," Farrell said. "But now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group. "This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game so we always have to be prepared for that." The veteran's call-up, and Fagerson's scratching, not only adds to the growing concerns about the Lions' tighthead-prop situation, but will also increase the angst among fans not happy about the increasing number of non-British and Irish born players in Farrell's squad. The ginger-bearded Bealham is the eighth southern hemisphere-born player in the 38-man group, joining fellow Australians Mack Hansen and Sione Tuipulotu, Kiwis Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe and South Africans, Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe, who all qualify on residency grounds. And less than two years after the Red Dragon sent Eddie Jones' Wallabies packing from the 2023 World Cup with a record 40-6 group-stage mauling, the ledger now stands at Australian players three, Wales two in the Lions squad. Skipper Jac Morgan and scrumhalf Tomos Williams are the only two Welshmen among the Lions - their lowest representation in a British & Irish Lions squad in the post-war era. The so-called "foreign invasion" has apparently not gone down well in the northern hemisphere, with the likes of legendary five-times Lions tourist John McBride among those said to be "bothered". But of greater concern for the Lions, perhaps, should be the diminishing front-row stocks. Fellow Irish prop Tadhg Furlong is also nursing a calf injury, while England's Will Stuart will only link up with the squad on Saturday after playing for Bath in the English Premiership final. The rest of the players in the Lions squad who are not still involved in club duties have assembled in Dublin and were to travel to Portugal on Tuesday for a six-day training camp.
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Scotland prop Zander Fagerson to miss Lions tour with calf injury
The Glasgow Warriors tight head will be replaced in the squad by Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham. The news comes a day before the squad – minus those involved in the Premiership Rugby and URC finals – were due to fly to Portugal for a training camp. Tighthead prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of the #Lions2025 Tour with a calf injury, with Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham called up to replace him ⬇️ — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 9, 2025 England pair Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour will also join the group preparing at Quinta do Lago. Head coach Farrell said: 'It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the tour, but now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group. 'This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game, so we always have to be prepared for that. 'But it's great to be finally at the stage where we can get onto the training ground and get to work with these players.' The Lions face Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before beginning their tour of Australia, which features three Tests against the Wallabies.
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Scotland prop Zander Fagerson to miss Lions tour with calf injury
The Glasgow Warriors tight head will be replaced in the squad by Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham. The news comes a day before the squad – minus those involved in the Premiership Rugby and URC finals – were due to fly to Portugal for a training camp. Tighthead prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of the #Lions2025 Tour with a calf injury, with Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham called up to replace him ⬇️ — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 9, 2025 England pair Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour will also join the group preparing at Quinta do Lago. Head coach Farrell said: 'It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the tour, but now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group. 'This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game, so we always have to be prepared for that. 'But it's great to be finally at the stage where we can get onto the training ground and get to work with these players.' The Lions face Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before beginning their tour of Australia, which features three Tests against the Wallabies.
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Scotland prop Zander Fagerson to miss Lions tour with calf injury
The Glasgow Warriors tight head will be replaced in the squad by Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham. The news comes a day before the squad – minus those involved in the Premiership Rugby and URC finals – were due to fly to Portugal for a training camp. Tighthead prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of the #Lions2025 Tour with a calf injury, with Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham called up to replace him ⬇️ — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 9, 2025 England pair Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour will also join the group preparing at Quinta do Lago. Head coach Farrell said: 'It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the tour, but now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group. 'This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game, so we always have to be prepared for that. 'But it's great to be finally at the stage where we can get onto the training ground and get to work with these players.' The Lions face Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before beginning their tour of Australia, which features three Tests against the Wallabies.
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Scotland prop Zander Fagerson to miss Lions tour with calf injury
The Glasgow Warriors tight head will be replaced in the squad by Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham. The news comes a day before the squad – minus those involved in the Premiership Rugby and URC finals – were due to fly to Portugal for a training camp. Tighthead prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of the #Lions2025 Tour with a calf injury, with Ireland and Connacht's Finlay Bealham called up to replace him ⬇️ — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 9, 2025 England pair Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour will also join the group preparing at Quinta do Lago. Head coach Farrell said: 'It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the tour, but now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group. 'This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game, so we always have to be prepared for that. 'But it's great to be finally at the stage where we can get onto the training ground and get to work with these players.' The Lions face Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before beginning their tour of Australia, which features three Tests against the Wallabies.
