England excludes George Martin from the British & Irish Lions tour as head coach Andy Farrell deals with injury issues, leading to Martin's absence.
England's lock George Martin has met his unfortunate fate, as he's been excluded from the Lions' tour Down Under due to a pesky combination of knee and shoulder injuries that have wreaked havoc on his campaign.
Thursday's squad announcement is just around the corner, where we'll find out the final team to face the Wallabies. It's gonna be one heck of a show at London's O2 Arena!
Yep, Martin's been on the sidelines ever since he was yanked off in the second half of that hard-fought Six Nations victory against the French on February 8. That's a full three months quitting on us, folks!
If Martin had been in tip-top shape, he'd have been a strong contender for the tour. Remember what Sam Warburton had to say about the lad's potential? The man's a bloody champion!
Now, Andy Farrell, Lions' coach, has got himself quite a few concerns. With Caelan Doris set to undergo shoulder surgery, it seems he'll be out of action for a while. With that, England's Maro Itoje emerges as a solid frontrunner to lead the gang.
The situation gets trickier in the backline, where Mack Hansen has added his name to the mounting list of contenders on the injured reserve. The Irish wing is dealing with an ankle injury and is predicted to be off the field for around five weeks.
And it ain't just in the backline. Guys like Duhan van der Merwe, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Furbank, Blair Kinghorn, and a few others are all nursing injuries that could affect their tour eligibility.
Getting real tight in midfield too. With Ollie Lawrence out after having his Achilles sliced, Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones are dealing with injuries of their own. And to make matters more complex, Bundee Aki's on a forced break—but he's expected to recover before the squad's announced.
Finally, we gotta sort out the fly-half situation. Scotland's Finn Russell is pretty much locked in. But England's Fin and Marcus Smith, George Ford, Owen Farrell, and Ireland's Sam Prendergast are all gunning for playmaker spots.
Fin Smith had a cracker of a season, becoming England's top gun at No 10. He outplayed Prendergast when they clashed in Northampton's heart-stopping win against Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final last week.
With Doris expected to miss the tour due to his shoulder issue, England's Maro Itoje is Farrell's most probable pick for the captaincy.
Smith can't help but feel the nerves as the squad announcement approaches. "You go from not thinking about it to being like, 'I'm gonna be freakin' nervous when the announcement's happening,'" he shared.
He's trying to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. "I'm trying to prepare for the worst, and if the best happens, then it's gonna be bloody amazing!"
Smith, despite having parents of Scottish descent, went for England. His grandfather, Tom Elliot, was a Lions tourist in 1955. "At least my dad could cheer for me this time if I'm playing for the Lions," Smith said. "We visited my granny not too long ago, and she still has all his Lions stuff. I used to run around in those when I was a little lad. It'd be pretty special to have some of my stuff next to his if I got called up."
- Andy Farrell, the Lions' coach, has been left with a lack of options due to injuries, as Caelan Doris will miss the tour due to a shoulder injury, and Mack Hansen, Duhan van der Merwe, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Furbank, Blair Kinghorn, Ollie Lawrence, Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, and possibly Bundee Aki may also be unable to join due to injuries.
- The sports news has confirmed that Maro Itoje is likely to take over the captaincy role for the Lions, with Doris expected to be out due to his shoulder injury.
- The scrum in the Lions' team has received a blow with George Martin's exclusion from the tour due to knee and shoulder injuries, but in the backline, England's Fin Smith is making a strong case for a playmaker spot, outplaying Sam Prendergast in their recent encounter.
- The sports-analysis suggests that if Fin Smith is selected for the Lions, his inclusion would be a family affair, as his grandfather, Tom Elliot, was a Lions tourist in 1955.
- With Thursday's squad announcement looming, all eyes will be on the scrum and midfield positions, as well as the plays of the fly-halves, including Finn Russell, George Ford, Marcus Smith, Owen Farrell, and Sam Prendergast, to find out who will be joining the Lions on their tour Down Under.
