Halfpenny to potentially miss first two tour games

Crash

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_5339323,00.html

PlanetRugby wrote:

Wales winger Leigh Halfpenny will not travel with the British and Irish Lions squad to South Africa on Sunday.

The Lions medical team have decided Halfpenny should remain at home to undergo intensive treatment on a thigh injury that has proved to be more significant than first thought.

Halfpenny remains part of the squad and he will join the Lions in South Africa once he has regained full fitness. He is expected to be sidelined for up to a fortnight.

With Halfpenny effectively ruled out of the Lions' first two tour matches, head coach Ian McGeechan will name a replacement taking the squad back up to 37 players.

Halfpenny will leave the Lions camp at Pennyhill Park tomorrow and return to Cardiff.

In a statement, the Lions medical team confirmed the injury will require at least 10 to 14 days' treatment.

"It is the belief of the Lions management team that it would be better for the player to receive intensive treatment in Cardiff," said the statement.

"The management have always had the expectation that travelling players should be fit to play the first game on tour.

"A replacement player will be announced in due course. However, once Leigh Halfpenny is fully fit he will rejoin the Lions in South Africa."

The additional player will take the Lions back to 37 players after McGeechan had initially decided not to replace the injured centre Tom Shanklin.

The Lions will be looking for a replacement not only to cover Halfpenny's position on the wing and, potentially, at full-back, but his goalkicking.

Fly-halves Ronan O'Gara and Stephen Jones are the only recognised goal-kickers in the squad, with Riki Flutey a part-time option at best.

England full-back Delon Armitage missed the chance of a call-up when the Lions opted not to replace Shanklin but his name will return to the frame.

Armitage took the longer-range goal-kicks for London Irish in last weekend's Guinness Premiership final defeat to Leicester.

The retiring Josh Lewsey is also on the standby list and he would offer cover on the wing and the centre, though he is not a goal-kicker.

The Lions have already called in Scotland captain Mike Blair as a replacement for injured Munster scrum-half Tomas O'Leary.

And McGeechan could be forced to make a further change to his original squad tonight if Alan Quinlan fails in his appeal against a 12-week suspension.

That has got to be a pain in the hole.

MikeHoncho

How big a deal would it have been to have just bloody replaced Shanklin in the first place. The more injuries that are coming in before they even get on the plane the more worried im getting about cover in key positions. If the Lions go into a test series with SA with a load of guys not playing in their best positions they will be destroyed. 2 outhalfs is not enough especially considering they both arent playing to their best at the moment.

Really hope Halfpenny pulls through this one he is a very taleneted footballer.

accensi0n

Armitage for a straight swap?

Fast winger who can kick.

phog

accensi0n wrote: »

Armitage for a straight swap?

D'Arcy, he played on the wing and the centre this year. Could this be his ticket to the Lions?

chupacabra

Surely there is no need for a replacement? There is enough cover in that position and sure its only for the Royal XV and Lions games.

Stealdo

As above - he won't be missing for the tests, he will miss the first two tour games, and will be back in for the tests.

jam_on_toast

i really hope geordan murphy gets called up. would be the icing on the cake for him, he had to endure such crap from eddie with ireland. If he gets called up, i reckon he'll play himself into the starting 15 spot.

sm.org

There's unconfirmed reports on another forum that Jerry Flannery broke an arm in training today.

It could be(hope its) BS.

Chucky the tree

phog wrote: »

D'Arcy, he played on the wing and the centre this year. Could this be his ticket to the Lions?

D'arcy can't kick though. Armitage or Patterson would be my guess. I

sm.org wrote: »

There's unconfirmed reports on another forum that Jerry Flannery broke an arm in training today.

It could be(hope its) BS.

Who's he training with?

thomond2006

FFS Geech, pick Murphy.

Won't happen though. :mad::mad:

Stealdo

Doing my best to not comment on Murphy for the Lions.....the last time it caused a stink.....but surely even the biggest Murphy apologist at this stage can't suggest that he's an international class winger? let alone a Lions class winger?

No one needs to be called up for this. Four is plenty of wingers even if Halfpenny wasn't available for the tests which at this stage he is.

@Crash - you should really re-name this thread, saying he's out for the first two tests suggests he'll arrive in time for the last game of the tour, if that were the case he'd be out for the whole thing. He'll be missing the first two games not the test matches.

Podge_irl

There are enough fullbacks in the squad already.

sm.org

Chucky the tree wrote: »

D'arcy can't kick though. Armitage or Patterson would be my guess. I





Who's he training with?

The Lions . Had a session in Penial Green today

RuggieBear

hope that's not true. dropping like flys

Crash

youch, sorry folks, was posted just before I left work, apologies for the OTT thread title.

thomond2006

God, the injury situation is so bad at the moment that eventually we'll have Denis Hurley or Balshaw at FB. :(

GOD SAVE US ALL.

Stev_o

Podge_irl wrote: »

There are enough fullbacks in the squad already.

When has Lee Byrne played last? Kearney is only back from illness and is unlikely to play any real major rugby that leaves either Earls/Bowe/Fitzgerald for the FB position if needs be. Id like to see Murphy take it considering his form over the others..

sh*t................i forgot you hate Murphy with a passion Podge so there is no way we can give you a reason for him to go

Podge_irl

Stev_o wrote: »

sh*t................i forgot you hate Murphy with a passion Podge so there is no way we can give you a reason for him to go

Point taken. However, I wouldn't actually have a problem with him travelling if Byrne/Kearney got injured. I haven't seen much of him this season, but in the last couple games I saw he did indeed seem to be playing very well. Wouldn't exactly be the first time he was excellent for the Tigers though, and he hasn't always translated that to the next level.

I think most people would agree that whatever about him at fullback, he's not the greatest winger. Nor does he placekick which was something Halfpenny would have been handy for (especially if Flutey ends up at 10 at any point).

The fecker is probably gonna go and score 27 tries against Leinster at the weekend now