DUBLIN — Scottish prop Zander Fagerson has been forced to withdraw from the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia due to an injury, with Irish international Finlay Bealham stepping in as his replacement. This development increases concerns over the Lions’ tighthead prop positions, as Tadhg Furlong is currently dealing with a calf injury, and Will Stuart is only expected to join the squad later due to his commitment to the English Premiership final with Bath.
Players not engaged in club commitments have already gathered in Dublin and are set to travel to Portugal on Tuesday for a six-day training camp. As Fagerson must miss the tour because of his calf injury, Bealham now joins the squad, marking the inclusion of 16 Irish players among the 38-man group.
Lions’ coach Andy Farrell commented on the situation, stating, “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.”
English players Jamie George, a hooker with previous Lions experience, and Asher Opoku-Fordjour, a young prop with a single international cap, will accompany the team to Portugal for training. However, they have not been officially included in the squad.
Before heading to Australia, the Lions have a scheduled match against Argentina in Dublin on June 20. During their time in Australia, the Lions will face the Wallabies in three tests, alongside six additional games against teams such as the Western Force, Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, ACT Brumbies, an Invitational Australia and New Zealand XV, and a First Nations and Pasifika XV.