'They're quality players' - Lions defend their latest call-ups

Murray Kinsella Reports from Brisbane

THE 2017 LIONS tour had the ‘Geography Six’ and this 2025 tour of Australia now has six late arrivals of its own.

An original 38-man squad will become 44 by Sunday.

The Lions have said that each of Jamie Osborne, Jamie George, Thomas Clarkson, Darcy Graham, Rory Sutherland, and Ewan Ashman are coming in as what they term “cover” for the main squad.

Osborne joined the Lions over the weekend, Graham arrives in Brisbane today, George and Clarkson will land on Tuesday, while Sutherland and Ashman will link up with the tourists in Melbourne on Sunday.

Versatile outside back Osborne was called up after injuries to fullback Blair Kinghorn and centre Garry Ringrose last Wednesday, while hooker George was summoned when Luke Cowan-Dickie suffered a head injury on Saturday in Adelaide.

However, the Lions insist that Clarkson, Graham, Sutherland, and Ashman are not coming in to specifically cover any fresh injuries.

The Lions say that blindside/lock Ollie Chessum, who trained separately from the main squad at one stage in Adelaide, is fit. And they have yet to rule Kinghorn out of the first Test against the Wallabies this weekend, saying they’re taking that one day by day.

The fact that Ringrose and Cowan-Dickie both have to complete 12-day returns to play after concussion, meaning no contact initially, has added to the challenge for head coach Andy Farrell and his assistants.

There is also the matter of the final midweek game against the First Nations & Pasifika XV on Tuesday week. Farrell doesn’t want to risk his Test 23 in that match in Melbourne.

The Lions coaching staff don’t buy into the suggestion that they are devaluing the tourists’ history by adding additional players at this point.

“No, I think naturally at this stage of the tour that the games that are more intense,” said assistant coach John Dalziel in Brisbane today.

“Geographically, we’re getting people here if they do need to play. I think it’s the right time to do it with the right players. We’re not giving away opportunities lightly.

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“It’s quality players like Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland, an ex-Lions international. These are players who will come in and add value to the group.

“Darcy Graham, in a lot of people’s eyes he was very, very close to selection. He’s a fantastic player, a lad that would probably be, rightfully, a bit disappointed not making it originally.” 

The ‘Geography Six’ episode in 2017 was highly controversial.

Joe Marler later revealed that he refused to come off in one of the Lions’ games when he was supposed to be replaced by Allan Dell, one of the Geography Six. There were other reports of unhappiness within the original 2017 squad at the time.

But Farrell and his staff aren’t worried about anything like that happening.

“I didn’t hear those stories, but I’d like to think our lads would be above that,” said Dalziel.

He also pointed out that the Lions could have made things easier if they had selected solely on geography.

“Look at Jamie George, he had two 14-hour flights to get here. It’s not an easy choice to get him in.

“We looked at it properly, it was a process with Jamie being part of the set-up at the start.”

The Lions forwards coach did reveal that some of these late call-ups could leave Lions camp after the First Nations & Pasifika XV clash.

That means Sutherland and Ashman could potentially arrive in Melbourne on Sunday, be involved in the game on Tuesday, then leave the Lions camp after that match. 

“It’ll be on an individual basis, based on what’s going to happen through the week and Saturday again as well,” said Dalziel on that front.

“We’ll assess after that. But we’ll make that decision after that.”

Graham arriving today in Brisbane, despite Sutherland and Ashman staying with Scotland in New Zealand for their game against Samoa on Saturday, has raised some eyebrows. 

Dalziel was asked if there had been an injury to right wing Mack Hansen, who played in Adelaide on Saturday, but he said that wasn’t the case.

“He [Hansen] is fine and he’s doing the walkthrough today.”

Clarkson will become the third Irish tighthead prop on this tour along with Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham, something that has drawn criticism in the other Lions nations.

Clarkson is the 18th Irish player called up but again, Dalziel said the Leinster man was picked because the coaches feel he was the best available player.

“We’ve seen his form at the end of the season so he was hugely on the radar and now in Test weeks, it just takes an injury in training or at the weekend and in specialist positions, you’re a bit light.

“Obviously, Zander Fagerson’s injury as well. He’s a lad who’s been playing probably the best rugby he’s been playing through the last six months.

“You look at that, with everyone available and him playing well, he was still in the mix. It’s the right time. We feel he’s the next cab off the rank. He’ll come and be able to do a job here and hopefully push.”

As with the final midweek game in 2017 against the Hurricanes, which was also in between the first and second Tests, it is clear that the Lions coaches feel they need to have additional players onboard for their clash with the First Nations & Pasifika XV.

It was put to Dalziel that this final midweek fixture has become an inconvenience.

“Not really an inconvenience,” said the Scottish coach. “There’s going to be lads that are desperate, who won’t make selection on the weekend, who will want to go out, put their best foot forward and push for the second Test.

“Also, it does help the lads in terms of their preparation. It’s a good opportunity for the lads to wear a Lions jersey and I’m pleased for them.”