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.
Now that is a STUNNER 🔥
The Lions break through James Lowe and go the length of the pitch, as Tomos Williams flies over in the corner. Conversion: missed. #Lions2025 pic.twitter.com/bOxV2e4vKK — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 28, 2025
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.'
Tomos has come off holding his hamstring. There was plenty of cramp last week, let's hope it is one of those
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.
Dan Sheehan, right, was impressed by team-mate Henry Pollock, left (Trevor Collens/AP)
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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
17 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Pádraig Harrington upbeat after ‘nice bonus' as final hole chip-in gives him share of US Senior Open lead
Pádraig Harrington overcame a mini back-nine wobble by chipping in for birdie at the last to snatch a three-way share of the lead heading into the final round of the US Senior Open Championship in Colorado Springs. Winner of the title in 2022, Harrington's pitch from just short of the 18th green looked to be going long when it hit the pin dead centre and dropped. 'I was pleased with the chip,' said Harrington, who matched Stewart Cink by racing to the turn in 32 before a double bogey at the 12th and a three-putt bogey at the 15th left him trailing the American by one and Australian Mark Hensby by two. 'And it was a big bonus that it went in.' Cink and Hensby went on to card two under 68s as Harrington matched them with his chip to leave the halfway leaders still tied at the top on eight under, a shot clear of Dane Thomas Bjorn, who shot 66. 'Obviously we would have all liked if we got a little bit more under, but it did get tricky there with that wind start swirling around, and I certainly lost a bit of trust on the green,' Harrington said. 'It was tough coming home, so it was a nice bonus for me. 'As I said to the three lads, we could have taken the day off and just gone out as the three leaders tomorrow.' There was a 32-minute weather delay at The Broadmoor's East Course, where wind and temperature switches led to several lead changes. Cink (52) also shot a four-under 32 on the front nine and briefly held the outright lead early on the more difficult back nine before making bogeys at the 13th and 16th. 'We had it going,' said Cink. 'We were confused about whose tee it was after the little delay because we'd all made so many birdies. 'We'd forgotten who made birdies on what holes. That was a good thing.' ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Hensby, who wants to celebrate his 54th birthday today by hoisting the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy, briefly took the outright lead at the 16th only to bogey the 534-yard, downhill 17th, which is the longest par-four in US Senior Open history. 'When you get two great players like that who start off as well as they did, especially Pádraig, you kind of expect it to a certain extent, but I just felt like I've just got to play my game and try and just do the best I can do all day and see what happens,' said Hensby, who missed a six-footer for birdie on the last to take the outright lead. 'Fortunately, some things started to go my way, [and I] got a couple of nice breaks.' Bjorn (54), who won the American Family Insurance Championship with Darren Clarke two weeks ago and finished runner-up in last month's Senior PGA Championship, is just a stroke back after matching the lowest round of the week with a 66. 'It's always great to chip in,' said Harrington, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour Champions this season. 'It was great to chip in on the last hole. It was straightforward on the green, but I was chipping against the grain. There was quite a bit of grain on that slope. So getting good contact was never going to be easy.' Clarke shot 73 to share 19th on two over while Ballymena's Chris Devlin, one of four players who made the cut after surviving local and final qualifying, was 62nd on 10 over after a third-round 78. Harrington, Cink and Hensby will tee off at 8:50 a.m. local time (3:50 pm Irish time).
The 42
34 minutes ago
- The 42
'It's like little Ireland here in Sydney, Irish accents everywhere'
THE BEAUTIFUL BEACHSIDE suburb of Coogee in Sydney is where Mike Catt now calls home. With its glorious sunshine, white sand beach, and crystal-clear waters, it might seem like a world away, but Catt is happy that there are many reminders of Dublin even in Coogee. Having spent five enjoyable, successful seasons working as an assistant coach with Andy Farrell's Ireland, Catt enjoys hearing from the many Irish expats around the place. 'It's like little Ireland here, Irish accents everywhere,' he says. Catt is now attack coach for the Waratahs, who face Farrell's Lions in Sydney next Saturday. There are many familiar faces in the Lions' ranks. Farrell has four of his Ireland assistants with him, a host of backroom staff, and 16 Irish players. Catt is looking forward to catching up. He shares great memories with them, including their 2023 Grand Slam, 2024 Six Nations title, and 2022 series success in New Zealand. Catt still has a strong sense of 'what if' about the 2023 World Cup. He speaks fondly about Irish rugby and is a huge admirer of Farrell's leadership, so it was difficult for Catt to walk away from the Ireland set-up last summer following the tour to his native South Africa. But family came first. His son, Ellis, was with him in Ireland and loved playing rugby in Blackrock College but Catt's two daughters, Evie and Erin, were in the UK and his wife, Ali, was over and back non-stop. 'I was just like, 'What am I doing?'' says Catt. 'I needed to spend time with my family. I wanted us all to be together. 'I asked Faz if I would be able to commute and he said no. Fair play, from day one he said he wanted me to be in Ireland and he stuck by that. And I had the most amazing time there.' So Catt started to look for his next job. Australian coach Dan McKellar was in charge of Leicester and gave Catt a shout. When McKellar then had to move on from Tigers at the end of the 2023/24 season, he got the top job back at home with the Waratahs. He called Catt again and landed his man on a three-year deal. The Catt family after Ireland's 2024 Six Nations triumph. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Catt wanted to get back into club rugby for the first time in over a decade because of the day-to-day coaching aspect, yet Super Rugby having a relatively short season was appealing, as was the chance to work in a different part of the world. Ali's father lives in Brisbane and they have friends elsewhere on the east coast. So far, only Catt and 14-year-old Ellis have made the full-time move over, setting up a 'little man cave,' but the girls are due to follow in a month, with important studies completed in the UK. Five years with Ireland have left an imprint on Catt. He lists off Farrell, Paul O'Connell, Simon Easterby, David Nucifora, Johnny Sexton, Garry Ringrose, Tadhg Beirne, and Tadhg Furlong as examples of the 'calibre of people' he worked with. 'It was just their want to be successful,' says Catt. 'It's just incredible how good Irish rugby is with the limited number of players there. It's unbelievable how successful they are. I don't think people appreciate that at all. 'Irish people are amazing people, that work ethic across the board. One of the biggest things is that there were no egos in Ireland team. 'You know, you just wish that… the Grand Slam wasn't enough, you know, we needed something bigger than that and unfortunately the cards don't fall like that. That's sport, but what I've learned out of that was unbelievable.' Catt joined Ireland after four years with Italy and worked closely with Farrell on the attack, which suffered from teething issues in the first year but gradually became world-leading and was mimicked by other teams. Advertisement 'We got that understanding into the players and they started to be curious enough for it to happen,' says Catt. 'We coached the decision-making. It did look like we were very structured and yes, we were but the decision-making and the coaching of that and the calmness that you do it in, that was where I think we took the game to another level.' Upskilling the Irish tight five forwards was key to Ireland's plans to cut teams apart with their phase-play attack, with Farrell and Catt taking inspiration from the highly-skilled All Blacks team that won the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. Catt in South Africa with Ireland last summer. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Making Irish players fitter than anyone was another important measure, while Sexton was highly influential in creating that brilliant Irish attack. But Catt underlines that Farrell is the brains and heart of everything good Ireland have done in recent years. The first thing he highlights is Farrell's exceptional technical and tactical knowledge of the game, something Catt finds even more impressive given Farrell's rugby league background. The Ireland and Lions boss is a huge student of union and Catt says Farrell can discuss the angle of props' elbows in scrums with as much knowledge as he can attack shape or defence systems. Secondly, there is Farrell's searing honesty and ability to give players precise and consistent messages. Catt's record as a player was remarkable. He won the 1999 World Cup in England, two Grand Slams, three other Five/Six Nations titles, toured with the Lions twice, and was part of a Bath team that won the Heineken Cup and three Premierships. His coaching career has included roles with London Irish, England [working alongside Farrell], Italy, Ireland, and now the Waratahs. So he's a good judge of authenticity. 'I've worked with so many head coaches in the past that, as a player, you look at him and you go, 'Yeah, that's just bullshit,'' says Catt. 'You know they're just saying it for the sake of saying it. 'Whereas Faz has the knack of just being totally genuine, and what he says is so relevant in that moment.' And for all the talk of the happy camps Farrell creates, Catt says there is never any confusion around the main goal of his teams. 'We had such fun. Faz loves a drink, he loves a song on the guitar, he loves the social, but it's about winning. 'If you can get the balance right, great, but it's not about good environments and stuff. It's about winning. This Lions tour is about winning.' Catt and the Waratahs hope to put a spanner in the Lions' works on Saturday. His first season with the Sydney side has been enjoyable and challenging. They started the campaign brightly but faded away and finished with six wins from 14 games, missing out on the play-offs. Catt with Andy Farrell. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO The last few years have been fairly tumultuous for the Tahs and they are in the process of a rebuild in their squad and staff, all while playing in the 'pretty brutal competition' that is Super Rugby Pacific. Catt loves working hands-on with players every day, so different to the on-off nature of international coaching windows. One of the biggest differences he has seen between Irish players and their Aussie counterparts is how obsessed they are with rugby. He recounts how many Irish players would watch Super Rugby, Top 14, and anything else they could in their spare time. There are a few union nerds in the Waratahs squad too, but many others tune into rugby league, Aussie rules, and other sports when they're away from the club's training base. Catt explains that there are lots of Australian players who struggle with kicking technique and strategy because they simply don't kick the ball much when they're growing up. The good weather lends itself to keeping the ball in hand, which can cause issues down the line when Aussie teams clash with tactically astute Kiwi sides in Super Rugby or step up into the kick-heavy international game. The competition for eyeballs in Australian sport is intense and the reality is that rugby union is well down the pecking order. There are nine NRL clubs in Sydney, two AFL sides, as well as football, cricket, basketball, and netball teams. Catt says that you wouldn't know the Lions were coming to town apart from the odd banner here and there. 'If you're not winning, you don't get a sniff. We had a really good start to the season and then there were 20,000 people turning up and there was a real buzz about it but it drops very quickly when you lose because of what you're competing against. 'This is why I think Australia needs to have a good Lions tour. World rugby needs the Wallabies to be successful. Same with the Waratahs, we need to start winning for us to get bums on seats and inspire kids at a younger age to start loving the game again.' Catt explains how he went to watch his son play in the New South Wales U14 state championships a few weeks ago and was blown away. 'I couldn't believe what I was watching, the talent was phenomenal and you had 115kg kids who are 14,' says Catt. 'The athleticism and skillset was mind-blowing and the question was, 'Where do they all go?' A lot of them get snapped up by the NRL because they're promised the financial reward is much earlier than in union. That's just where we're at and changing that is exceptionally hard. So the Wallabies have to be successful, the Waratahs have to start winning for us to change that momentum.' Catt is enjoying his new challenge Down Under. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Australian rugby did manage to get a young NRL star back across to union in time for this Lions series. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii didn't come cheap but he has adapted impressively so far, shining for the Wallabies last autumn and for the Tahs this year in Super Rugby. Suaalii has overcome a fractured jaw to return to fitness ahead of the Lions series and Catt says the Lions and the rest of the rugby world will have to watch out. 'He is gonna be exceptional,' says Catt. 'First and foremost, he's just an incredible athlete. Like freakishly, Israel Folau-type. He's 21 years old, he hasn't played a tonne of rugby union, but his professionalism is through the roof. 'He's going to have a few bumpy roads, just part of the journey, but he's come in and he's shown a lot of senior players, especially at the Waratahs, what it actually means to really want something. 'I think the next two to three years for Joseph Suaalii is very special. Australian rugby needs guys like Joseph Suaalii.' Suaalii mainly played at fullback for the Waratahs this year, although Catt reckons Joe Schmidt may use him at outside centre for the Wallabies. And he cites Waratahs wing Max Jorgensen, who is also in Schmidt's squad, as 'unbelievably good' as an athlete and in his feel for the game. Jorgensen is one to watch 'very, very closely,' according to Catt. While those stars are in Wallabies camp preparing for the Lions, the rest of the Waratahs are working hard for Saturday's huge occasion against Farrell's tourists. Catt was in Australia with the Lions as a player in 2001, so he knows exactly how special all of this will be. 'It's huge. It only comes around once every 12 years. So they're very, very fortunate to get this opportunity. And where we are as a squad, a lot of our guys are young, they're going to get an experience playing against the best. 'Not all of them will play for the Wallabies, so for them to do it in front of a packed-out stadium is huge. We haven't had that this year. It's a brilliant challenge.' The Waratahs will undoubtedly be exceptionally well-briefed about what to expect from an Andy Farrell team.
The 42
34 minutes ago
- The 42
Lions move swiftly onto Brisbane for a meeting with Kiss' Reds
AFTER HAVING A few relatively settled weeks of preparation, the Lions are now heading into the thick of their tour of Australia, with a run of four games in 11 days to come. Having a week in Perth ahead of yesterday's 54-7 hammering of the Force was helpful, allowing players and coaches to get the long-haul travel out of their system early. On Sunday morning, they packed up in Perth and headed for the four-and-a-half hour flight across Australia to Brisbane, where they meet Les Kiss' Queensland Reds on Wednesday [KO 11am Irish time]. After that, they'll move down to Sydney for a Saturday clash with the Waratahs, then onto Canberra for the Brumbies game on Wednesday week before a trip to Adelaide to meet the AUNZ Invitational XV a week out from the first Test against the Wallabies, which is back in Brisbane. So plenty is happening in the next two weeks. Andy Farrell and his men are heading into the manic period of the tour where the Lions have to juggle travel, training loads, injuries, niggles, selection, and opposition analysis. It's going to be hectic. Farrell loves this stuff. He won't be complaining. The Force got stuck in for the first half yesterday but they're the weakest of the Australian Super Rugby sides. If the Lions had been able to manage the restarts, the scoreline probably would have been a lot uglier. The Reds will hope to provide a sterner test on Wednesday. They won eight of their 14 Super Rugby games before losing in the quarter-finals to the Crusaders, who were the eventual champions. Advertisement Reds boss Les Kiss. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO Unfortunately for Kiss, he will be missing many of his best players because they're in Wallabies camp with his old friend Joe Schmidt preparing for a warm-up game against Fiji on Sunday. The Wallabies boss has released expolosive centre Hunter Paisami and hooker Matt Faessler for the Reds' clash with the Lions, but the exceptional Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, Tate McDermott, Tom Lynagh, Filipo Daugunu, and Zane Nonggorr are due to remain with Schmidt's group. Back row Liam Wright is among the Reds players who have been on the injury list, yet Kiss – who will also head coach the AUNZ Invitational XV – still has some quality to work with. Second row Lukhan Salakaia-Loto is an experienced Wallaby who missed out on selection in Schmidt's squad, while clever outside back Josh Flook, fullback Jock Campbell, hooker Josh Nasser, blindside Seru Uru, and locks Josh Canham and Angus Blyth have all capped by Australia. Samoa prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, previously capped once by New Zealand, is a familiar face having spent the 2022/23 season with Ulster, earning plenty of fans with his all-action play and affable personality. The Reds front row stocks have also been boosted by the arrival of All Blacks-capped loosehead Aidan Ross, who just joined after the Chiefs' Super Rugby campaign ended in defeat in the final. Kiss is the most familiar face of all for the Irish tourists in the Lions squad, even if he left Irish rugby in 2018 when his time with Ulster ended. The former rugby league international had a huge impact as Ireland's defence coach, first under Declan Kidney and then under Schmidt. Kiss pioneered the choke tackle and helped Ireland to their 2013 Grand Slam. Former Ulster man Jeffery Toomaga-Allen. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo He enjoyed working with Kidney again in London Irish for five years after his departure from Ulster, before the English club's demise saw him move home. Things have worked out very well for Kiss back in Australia, with his calm guidance of the Reds since 2024 earning him the job of Wallabies boss once Schmidt departs in 2026. It's a slightly awkward-looking arrangement that probably puts Kiss under pressure to make sure the Reds have a good Super Rugby season next year before he takes on the top job. Wednesday's clash with the Lions at Suncorp Stadium is a great opportunity for Kiss and his players to make a statement. Once again, we're likely to see a much-changed Lions team as Farrell continues to assess his options. There are only four more warm-up games left as the first Test comes quickly into view.
