**Lions Call on England Scrum-Half for Squad Cover as Injury Concerns Loom Over First Warm-Up Match**
In a significant squad development ahead of the British & Irish Lions’ much-anticipated warm-up fixture against Argentina, England’s Jack van Poortvliet has joined the camp in Dublin as cover, following an injury scare to first-choice scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park. Head coach Andy Farrell made the decision to call up van Poortvliet, aged 24, in the lead-up to Friday night’s encounter, providing depth and insurance at a key position during this crucial preparation period.
Van Poortvliet, a dynamic talent from Leicester Tigers, boasts 18 Test caps for England since his debut against Australia in 2022. Despite his notable performances on the international stage, he was omitted from Farrell’s original 38-man touring squad. His late inclusion, announced on Tuesday morning, comes as the Lions ramp up their final preparations in the Irish capital ahead of facing the Pumas in the 1888 Cup showdown.
Intriguingly, van Poortvliet’s call to the Lions follows swiftly after being named in Steve Borthwick’s 36-player England training squad, preparing to take on a France XV at Twickenham this coming Saturday. The simultaneous squad commitments highlight both the healthy competition for scrum-half places across the home nations and the complex juggling act now faced by players and coaches as the international summer schedule intensifies.
“Leicester Tigers and England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet will this morning fly into Dublin to train with the Lions as they prepare for the 1888 Cup fixture against Argentina,” read a brief update from the Lions’ camp. His addition is officially as injury cover, but given the uncertainty around Gibson-Park’s fitness, van Poortvliet will be keen to seize any opportunity that may arise during these warm-up fixtures.
The Lions’ injury headache emerged after Irish No. 9 Jamison Gibson-Park was withdrawn from Leinster’s matchday squad just moments before their United Rugby Championship final against the Bulls last weekend. While precise details remain undisclosed, sources suggest the 33-year-old was still feeling the effects of a niggle picked up during the semi-final victory over Glasgow Warriors, resulting in his absence from final preparations and ultimately from the match itself.
Leinster offered only a short statement confirming his withdrawal on Saturday afternoon, wishing best of luck to Luke McGrath and announcing academy scrum-half Fintan Gunne’s elevation to the bench. Given Gibson-Park’s stature as one of the finest operators in his position globally, his fitness will be anxiously monitored by both provincial and Lions medical teams ahead of a key summer that includes a Test series with Australia.
Should Gibson-Park be unable to recover in time, attention will turn to his rivals for the coveted Lions scrum-half jersey. Wales’ Tomos Williams and England’s Alex Mitchell are both in strong contention, with Welsh supporters particularly intrigued by the prospect of Williams earning his first Lions cap later this week.
Further expansion of the Lions training group came as 15 of the 16 players previously unavailable due to involvement in the URC and Gallagher Premiership finals were integrated into camp on Monday. Notable Leinster names – Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Garry Ringrose and Gibson-Park himself – teamed up with Bath’s Finn Russell and Will Stuart, and Tigers’ Ollie Chessum to finally bring the collective squad closer to full strength.
This influx allowed temporary cover, such as England’s Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour – both drafted in for last week’s Portugal training camp – to return to their clubs. As squad focus now sharpens on match preparations, only Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn is yet to arrive, owing to his continuing commitments with Toulouse in the French Top 14.
As the Lions juggle injuries and the last arrivals, all eyes remain fixed on how Andy Farrell will manage his options in the crucial role of scrum-half. With van Poortvliet’s arrival, the competition has intensified, underscoring just how demanding and unpredictable a major Lions campaign can be at the outset.