Fagerson becomes first injury casualty for Lions as Bealham called up for Australia rugby tour

By Canadian Press on June 9, 2025.

DUBLIN (AP) — Scotland prop Zander Fagerson was ruled out of the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia because of injury on Monday, with Ireland international Finlay Bealham called up as a replacement.

It adds to the growing concerns about the tighthead prop situation with the Lions, because Tadhg Furlong is nursing a calf injury and Will Stuart will only link up late with the squad as he is playing for Bath in the English Premiership final on Saturday.

The players in the Lions squad who are not still involved in club duties have assembled in Dublin and will travel to Portugal on Tuesday for a six-day training camp.

Fagerson will miss out because of a calf injury so Bealham becomes the 16th Ireland player in the 38-man group.

“It’s tough on Zander to miss out so close to the tour,” Lions coach Andy Farrell said, “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.”

England players Jamie George — a hooker and two-time Lions tourist — and Asher Opoku-Fordjour — a 20-year-old prop with one international cap to his name — will travel to Portugal to train with the squad but haven’t officially been added to the group.

Before heading Down Under, the Lions will play Argentina in a match in Dublin on June 20.

In Australia, the Lions will play three tests against the Wallabies, along with six more games — against Western Force, Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, ACT Brumbies, an Invitational Australia and New Zealand XV, and a First Nations and Pasifika XV.

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

The Associated Press