Plantar fasciitis may rule Joe McCarthy out of second Lions test but Ringrose set for return
The 27-19 victory over the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday saw second row McCarthy withdrawn after 42 minutes with head coach Andy Farrell explaining the Ireland lock is suffering from an inflammation of the fibrous tissue on the underside of a foot.
'Plantar fasciitis. It was niggling away at him there,' Farrell said. 'We got him off. Hopefully we got him off in time.'
On Sunday, the Lions called in another lock, Scotland's Gregor Brown, as a precaution, to join a trio of fellow Scots drafted in by Farrell from their national team's New Zealand-based tour to provide cover for Tuesday's final midweek fixture of the 2025 tour.
Wing Darcy Graham, hooker Ewan Ashman and prop Rory Sutherland, a 2021 Lions tourist, could all feature against the First Nation and Pasifika XV, with Ireland centre Jamie Osborne and prop Thomas Clarkson, as well as England hooker Jamie George, all in line for game time to limit any further injury risk to a potential second Test squad member. The latest addition brings the number of Lions players on this tour to 45.
Outside centre Ringrose and full-back Kinghorn missed out on selection for Saturday's first Test win over the Australia in Brisbane but Andy Farrell is hoping the backline duo can play their way back into the mix for this Saturday's potential series decider against the Wallabies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Kinghorn sustained a knee injury early into his start against the Brumbies in Canberra on July 9 and while Ringrose played the full 80 minutes of that game, the Ireland star later reported delayed concussion symptoms and was stood down for 12 days from the night of the match.
Both were ruled out of the Suncorp Stadium clash on Saturday, with Hugo Keenan starting at full-back while head coach Farrell selected an all-Scottish centre partnership of Sione Tuipulotu with Huw Jones at 13.
Farrell is set to name his side on Monday for the following day's match and he issued a positive update on both Kinghorn and Ringrose.
"Blair's doing well. Blair's doing pretty well, so we'll see,' the Lions boss said. 'Garry's good. Garry's going well. Hopefully they carry on that trajectory and could be available for Tuesday."
The only other fitness-related withdrawal on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium was fly-half Finn Russell, who came off on 66 minutes after an impressive performance at number 10 though Farrell did not appear concerned about the Bath and Scotland playmaker's situation.
"He was cramping a little bit so that's why we took him off," he said of his on-field general, whose contribution alongside scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park he described as 'great'.
'I thought the combination of the two of them together, Jamison and Finn, really controlled the game. They didn't get bored of doing the right thing but when they were able to show the best of themselves, and we know what they have got in the locker in terms of a point of difference, it came out every now and again and that's the brilliance of the two.'
Farrell made it clear the First Nation & Pasifika game was the next priority, in a game arranged when Melbourne's Super Rugby franchise the Rebels went bust.
'I suppose for us the whole group shifts our focus to Tuesday night. That's what matters to us at this point in time.
"We care about the squad and nothing but the squad. That's how it's been the whole time. We've never separated once. We've been all in everything together. We'll enjoy this victory tonight together. We travel to Melbourne tomorrow (Sunday).
'We'll name a side internally just before dinner. Then everyone will roll in on Monday to make sure that team, in an extended captain's run like we've been doing over the past four of five weeks, is (given) as good a preparation as we've had all tour. It matters to us on Tuesday night as a group."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
3 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sam Warburton was left gobsmacked by 'dirty' moment in Lions match
Former British and Irish Lions skipper Sam Warburton was shocked by one opponent's behaviour during their previous tour. During the squad's 2021 tour of South Africa, a rival player saw red for a shameful display of violence. As the Lions prepare for a potentially decisive Test match against Australia this Saturday, tensions are sure to rise in Melbourne. Yet it's unlikely supporters will see anything as underhanded as Jaden Hendrikse's assault on Liam Williams four years ago. Hendrikse, playing scrum-half for the Sharks and just 21 at the time, seemed eager to make an impression in the warm-up clash with the visiting side. But instead of showcasing skill, he left a more literal impact - delivering an illegal elbow to Williams' head after play had stopped. With the game tied at 26-all in the early stages of the second half, forward Dylan Richardson brought Williams down out of bounds. However, Hendrikse took things further, entering the fray and driving his elbow into the Welshman's head while he lay at the breakdown. "I'm stunned at that," said former Cardiff and Wales flanker Warburton, then working as a commentator for Sky Sports. "In this day and age, you think you can get away with that?" Warburton, who holds the record for most Test captaincies for Wales (49), made his living from being a master of the breakdown. And he did so with grace and decorum, despite his controversial dismissal against France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-final. Jaden Hendrikse was once sent off against the Lions after the Sharks scrum-half elbowed Lia Williams in the head (Image: SuperSport) He wasn't the only one outraged by what happened that day in Pretoria. Ex-referee Nigel Owens also backed Wayne Barnes' decision to dismiss Hendrikse, after the incident was flagged by TMO Stuart Berry. Owens noted he might have issued a yellow card in the moment had he been officiating. Still, he ultimately accepted the red card given the nature of the offense. "I'm not surprised, to be honest," he added. "It may have not looked [like there was] much force in it, but it was needless. An elbow straight to the head – you don't want that type of thing. That's what we want out of the game. The game is tough as it is. I agree with that decision." Hendrikse followed through with his elbow when he thought no-one was watching (Image: SuperSport) Despite the controversy, the Lions had the final word, routing the Sharks 71-31 in the second of two consecutive matches. Hendrikse was later handed a three-week suspension for the incident - reduced from six weeks following his admission of guilt and formal apology. Now 25, Hendrikse has once again drawn criticism - this time for perceived gamesmanship. During the Sharks' recent URC penalty shootout triumph over Munster, the Springbok playmaker appeared to fake cramp, delaying Jack Crowley's kick, before flashing a cheeky wink. The moment went viral, with many accusing the half-back of poor conduct. Some fans defended it as part of the psychological edge in top-tier sport, but for many viewers - especially in Europe - it reinforced Hendrikse's reputation for controversy.
Irish Times
3 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Lions v First Nations and Pasifika XV live updates: Jamie Osborne makes debut
0 minutes ago Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Lions game against First Nations and Pasifika XV. Kick-off at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium is at 11am. The opposition are a bit of a mouthful to say, but basically means they are a team of Indigenous Australian or Pacific Islander origin, and a second go at the Lions for the likes of Charlie Gamble and Taniela Tupou after playing for the Waratahs earlier in the tour. Fresh off their defeat of the Wallabies, it's a chance for some players who aren't likely to be in the Test side, including late Irish call-ups Jamie Osborne , who starts, and Thomas Clarkson, who is on the bench. Andy Farrell's son Owen captains the side. BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS : B Kinghorn (Scotland); D Graham (Scotland), J Osborne (Ireland), O Farrell (England, capt),D van der Merwe (Scotland); F Smith (England), B White (Scotland); P Schoeman (Scotland), J George (England), F Bealham (Ireland); J Ryan (Ireland), S Cummings (Scotland); J Morgan (Wales), J van der Flier (Ireland), H Pollock (England). Replacements : E Ashman (Scotland), R Sutherland (Scotland), T Clarkson (Ireland), G Brown (Scotland), B Earl (England), A Mitchell (England), M Smith (England), G Ringrose (Ireland). FIRST NATIONS AND PASIFIKA XV: Andy Muirhead (First Nations); Triston Reilly (First Nations), Lalakai Foketi (Maori & Tonga), David Feliuai (Samoa), Filipo Daugunu (Fiji); Kurtley Beale (First Nations, capt), Kalani Thomas (Maori); Lington Ieli (Fiji), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Samoa), Taniela Tupou (Tonga); Darcy Swain (Samoa), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Samoa); Seru Uru (Fiji), Charlie Gamble (Tonga), Tuaina Taii Tualima (Samoa). Replacements: Richie Asiata (Samoa), Marley Pearce (Maori & First Nations), Mesake Doge (Fiji), Mesake Vocevoce (Fiji), Rob Leota (Samoa), Harrison Goddard (First Nations), Jack Debreczeni (Cook Island), Jarrah McLeod (First Nations).
RTÉ News
33 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Wallabies eager to get electric Joseph Suaalii on the ball sooner in Melbourne Test
Joseph Suaalii's Australia centre partner Len Ikitau is hoping to get the rugby league convert involved in the game earlier and more often in the second Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday. Suaalii made an explosive entry into Test rugby against England last November but was a bit part player as the Wallabies were dominated by the Lions for the first hour of the 27-19 loss in Brisbane. Inside centre Ikitau took the crash ball option more often than not in the face of a fierce Lions rush defence, with the result that Suaalii received very little clean possession to exploit. "We've only played a handful of games together but it's just trying to understand in what places he'd like to get the ball and kind of just feeding off each other," Ikitau told reporters on Tuesday. "I felt like I didn't really get him into the game as early as I wanted, but that's a lot of learnings that I can take moving forward." Suaalii was not the only Australian back who struggled to get his hands on the ball in the first half of the series opener with talented right winger Max Jorgensen restricted to a couple of touches before he scored a try off a box kick. "We knew there were opportunities with their line speed and how they wanted to attack us in defence, but I think just being able to pull the trigger when the opportunity comes and backing our ability to pull the trigger," Ikitau said. "A few times I think we were just conservative and held the ball where there's opportunities out wide." Some in Australia have urged coach Joe Schmidt to rejig his backline and give Suaalii a run in the outside backs on Saturday. "To be honest, if he's on the field that's the best thing for us, just somewhere on the field," said Ikitau. "If he's playing 13, if he's on the wing, full-back, I know that he's just a freak of an athlete and he can step up to the occasion and just play his footy. "He always (says) at the end of the day, it's a footy game and he's a footballer so I don't think it would faze him."
