Just when you thought the British and Irish Lions were having a smooth sailing tour down under, the injury gremlins decided to crash the party. Elliot Daly, the unexpected starter due to Hugo Keenan's last-minute sickness, might now be sidelined after copping a nasty knock during the Lions’ romp over the Queensland Reds. Despite the 52-12 thrashing handed to the Reds, the victory was tinged with the anxiety of Daly's injury scare. Andy Farrell, the head honcho for the Lions, isn’t exactly brimming with optimism either.
Daly, who found himself unexpectedly on the pitch at Suncorp Stadium, ended up making his 11th straight appearance for the Lions—a streak going back to the 2021 tour in South Africa. His versatility, usually a superpower, seemed more like a curse when he went down after a collision with the Reds' skipper Jock Campbell. "He is pretty sore in there, we’re getting him an X-ray. It looks like he has taken a knock to his forearm there, so fingers crossed for him," revealed Farrell in the post-match presser.
"Pretty sore… fingers crossed"
The possibility of losing Daly for any stretch of time is particularly stinging, coming hot on the heels of Tomos Williams' tour-ending hamstring injury. These setbacks are reshuffling the deck for Farrell, who had to bring in Ben White as a quick fix.
As for the match itself, Farrell mixed his praise with a dose of realism. "It was a bit of everything," he admitted. The Lions' performance was a cocktail of brilliant moments diluted by periods of inconsistency. "I don’t think it was flowing from us, it was a little bit stop-start at times, but when it was on I thought we placed some really good stuff," he commented. Despite the shaky start where the Reds showed more bite, the Lions managed to stabilize and showcase why they are feared, especially after shaking off their initial sluggishness.
The defensive effort pleased Farrell as well, as his team managed to shut out the Reds in the second half, replicating their previous game's defensive shutdown. "At times, our collision work was pretty good, which gave us a full line, hence why we kept them out again in the second half."
Looking ahead, the Lions are set to jet off to Sydney for their upcoming bout with the Waratahs. With the Test series against the Wallabies looming on July 19, every match and training session is a piece of the puzzle for Farrell. "Of course, you have thoughts (on the Test side), but you need to be open-minded," he stated, underlining the fluid nature of his squad's selection dynamics.
With games coming "thick and fast," the Lions' Australian tour is shaping up to be as unpredictable as it is exciting. Will Daly make a swift recovery, or will Farrell need to shuffle his deck yet again? Only time will tell, but for now, the Lions’ roar is a tad hoarse with worry.
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Just when you thought the British and Irish Lions were having a smooth sailing tour down under, the injury gremlins decided to crash the party. Elliot Daly, the unexpected starter due to Hugo Keenan's last-minute sickness, might now be sidelined after copping a nasty knock during the Lions’ romp over the Queensland Reds. Despite the 52-12 thrashing handed to the Reds, the victory was tinged with the anxiety of Daly's injury scare. Andy Farrell, the head honcho for the Lions, isn’t exactly brimming with optimism either.
Daly, who found himself unexpectedly on the pitch at Suncorp Stadium, ended up making his 11th straight appearance for the Lions—a streak going back to the 2021 tour in South Africa. His versatility, usually a superpower, seemed more like a curse when he went down after a collision with the Reds' skipper Jock Campbell. "He is pretty sore in there, we’re getting him an X-ray. It looks like he has taken a knock to his forearm there, so fingers crossed for him," revealed Farrell in the post-match presser.
"Pretty sore… fingers crossed"
The possibility of losing Daly for any stretch of time is particularly stinging, coming hot on the heels of Tomos Williams' tour-ending hamstring injury. These setbacks are reshuffling the deck for Farrell, who had to bring in Ben White as a quick fix.
As for the match itself, Farrell mixed his praise with a dose of realism. "It was a bit of everything," he admitted. The Lions' performance was a cocktail of brilliant moments diluted by periods of inconsistency. "I don’t think it was flowing from us, it was a little bit stop-start at times, but when it was on I thought we placed some really good stuff," he commented. Despite the shaky start where the Reds showed more bite, the Lions managed to stabilize and showcase why they are feared, especially after shaking off their initial sluggishness.
The defensive effort pleased Farrell as well, as his team managed to shut out the Reds in the second half, replicating their previous game's defensive shutdown. "At times, our collision work was pretty good, which gave us a full line, hence why we kept them out again in the second half."
Looking ahead, the Lions are set to jet off to Sydney for their upcoming bout with the Waratahs. With the Test series against the Wallabies looming on July 19, every match and training session is a piece of the puzzle for Farrell. "Of course, you have thoughts (on the Test side), but you need to be open-minded," he stated, underlining the fluid nature of his squad's selection dynamics.
With games coming "thick and fast," the Lions' Australian tour is shaping up to be as unpredictable as it is exciting. Will Daly make a swift recovery, or will Farrell need to shuffle his deck yet again? Only time will tell, but for now, the Lions’ roar is a tad hoarse with worry.