Garry Ringrose ruled out as Lions face mounting injury concerns for Australia Test opener
The British and Irish Lions face mounting injury problems ahead of the First Test against Australia, with Garry Ringrose ruled out.
Andy Farrell's side travel to Brisbane for their series opener at Suncorp Stadium next weekend after running in eight tries during a 48-0 demolition of an AUNZ Invitational XV in their final warm-up match in Adelaide on Saturday.
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An otherwise hugely satisfying day for the Lions was marred by an injury to hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, who received treatment late in the first half and was stretchered off with his neck in a brace after being hurt while trying to make a tackle on Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
Though the England international was seen walking unaided and in good spirits on the sidelines in the second half, he will now be considered a major doubt for the First Test against Australia as Farrell ponders calling up an additional hooker to support presumed Test starter Dan Sheehan and Ireland team-mate Ronan Kelleher.
Luke Cowan-Dickie was stretchered off as the Lions thrashed an AUNZ Invitational XV in Adelaide (Getty Images)
Jamie George would seem the most likely candidate to join the squad, having been with the Lions in a training capacity at their camp in Portugal last month before co-captaining England on their tour of Argentina.
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'He got up straight away as he got off the stretcher and he's back to being his normal self,' Farrell said of Cowan-Dickie.
"It's unfortunate for him... so we'll see what has to happen on the back of that."
The Lions will definitely be without Ringrose for their first meeting with the Wallabies after it emerged that the Ireland centre - a clear front-runner for the No13 shirt in Brisbane - had failed concussion protocols after experiencing headaches in the aftermath of the midweek win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra, meaning he will now be stood down for at least 12 days.
Huw Jones now looks likely to start at outside centre against Australia after being withdrawn early in the second half on Saturday.
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"Garry had a delayed reaction. He had headaches for a day and it carried on for the next day so he went through concussion protocols and failed those," Farrell said.
"Unfortunately for him and for us he's 12 days so that puts him out of the first Test and back in for the midweek game before the Second Test (against First Nations & Pasifika XV on July 22).
"You don't mess around with these things and it is unfortunate for him and everyone else. He's in good spirits anyway so we crack on."
The Lions had already been sweating on the fitness of Blair Kinghorn ahead of the First Test, with the Scotland star having been forced off in the first half against the Brumbies with a knee sprain.
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Though he received positive news from a subsequent scan, he is now in a race against time to be fit for Brisbane, with Ireland's Jamie Osborne due to arrive in Australia this weekend as training cover.
The Lions were already short on full-backs after Elliot Daly suffered a tour-ending forearm fracture against the Queensland Reds, replaced in the squad by Owen Farrell.
If Kinghorn is unavailable, Hugo Keenan will likely retain his starting berth at 15 against the Wallabies, backed up by the versatile Marcus Smith.
Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams also flew home with a hamstring injury earlier on the trip, leading to a late call-up for Scotland's Ben White.
Tighthead prop Finlay Bealham was also added to the squad ahead of the tour after a calf injury suffered by Zander Fagerson.
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