- The British and Irish Lions are working hard at a training camp in Portugal
- Tadhg Furlong, the star Irish prop, has been declared fit for the tour of Australia
- Furlong is currently suffering with a calf injury and has had a stop-start season
The British & Irish Lions have insisted star prop Tadhg Furlong will be fit for their crunch trip to Australia despite him battling an ongoing calf injury.
Furlong has started the last six Lions Tests across the 2017 and 2021 tours and is a key figure for head coach Andy Farrell who knows him well from their time working together with Ireland.
But the 32-year-old hasn’t played since May 3 and has had an injury-interrupted campaign.
Furlong hopes to feature for Leinster in their United Rugby Championship final with South African side Bulls on Saturday and is in Dublin preparing for that game.
The other leading tighthead prop in Farrell’s squad, Bath’s Will Stuart, is also absent from the Lions’ squad in Portugal this week ahead of his involvement in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final with Leicester.
‘There are no real concerns in terms of his ability to come back to full training,’ Lions forwards coach John Dalziel said of Furlong at the Lions’ luxurious training base in Quinta do Lago on Wednesday. The Lions have had significant prop worries.
The British & Irish Lions are training in Portugal this week. Pictured is England’s Tom Curry
The Lions are confident prop Tadhg Furlong will be fit for their tour of Australia despite injury
Lions captain Maro Itoje gets down to work in Quinta do Lago on the Algarve on Wednesday
Scotland No 3 Zander Fagerson was ruled out of travelling to the southern hemisphere on Monday due to a calf problem of his own and replaced by Ireland’s Finlay Bealham.
England prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who can operate on both sides of the scrum, is also in Portugal along with his international compatriot and hooker Jamie George.
‘Tighthead is a key position for us, but we have that cover,’ Dalziel added.
The Lions face Argentina in Dublin a week on Friday before travelling to Australia.
The 24-man squad in Portugal this week is without the Bath, Leicester and Leinster players due to their domestic finals involvement.
Leinster will name their team to face the Bulls on Friday but even if Furlong isn’t in it, the Lions are confident he’ll be fit for Australia.
Such news is a big boost to the chances of Farrell’s men having Test success against the Wallabies given Furlong’s undoubted experience and international class.
His Leinster and Ireland colleagues Hugo Keenan and Josh van der Flier are also doubts for the URC final, but should be fit for the Lions. Dalziel also allayed any injury concerns over backs Duhan van der Merwe, Huw Jones and Mack Hansen.
Lions forwards coach John Dalziel said on Wednesday he was confident in Furlong’s fitness
Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie feels the heat of the Lions’ training session in the Portuguese sun
Furlong hasn’t played since May 3 and has had an injury-interrupted campaign
He revealed Fagerson could recover to be part of the Lions tour, but that it would take an injury for him to be recalled.
‘I think it’s a luxury on a Lions tour to carry a player for three or four weeks,’ Dalziel said of Fagerson, a Lion in South Africa in 2021. ‘As soon as he gets the tick off, he’ll be available to come back into the squad should needs must.’
Meanwhile, star Australia centre Joseph Sua’ali’i, 21, has insisted he’ll be fit to take on the Lions when the Test series begins in July as he continues his recovery from a broken jaw.
