Scotland scrum-half Ben White has been drafted into the British and Irish Lions squad to take the place of Tomos Williams, who has withdrawn from the Australia tour due to a serious hamstring injury.
White will depart the Scotland squad currently touring New Zealand and is set to join the Lions camp on Monday. He’ll be accompanied by Blair Kinghorn, who is now free to join after playing a key role in Toulouse’s Top 14 final victory.
Williams, one of just two Welsh players selected for the Lions, will head home on Monday after Farrell confirmed that the injury he sustained while scoring his second impressive try against Western Force on Saturday will keep him out for the “medium to long term.”
White, 27, narrowly missed out on selection for Andy Farrell’s initial Lions squad, but the Toulon scrum-half now gets his chance.
Scotland acted quickly to fill his spot, calling up Sale Sharks’ Gus Warr to join George Horne and Jamie Dobie in the scrum-half lineup. Gregor Townsend’s team will begin their tour against the Māori All Blacks in Whangārei on Saturday.
As for Williams, it’s a case of unfulfilled potential. The current Gallagher Premiership Player of the Year had delivered standout performances in both tour matches, putting him in strong contention for a Test spot against the Wallabies.
Farrell described the situation as deeply upsetting:
“It’s devastating news for all of us. We’re not just losing a top-class player—his performance was incredible, and the try he scored when the injury happened was outstanding,” he said.
“We’re also losing a great person. Even though we’ve only been together for a short time, his character is exactly what you want on a Lions tour. He’s really well-liked, which makes this even harder.”
Three Scots feature in the backline
Gibson-Park will partner with Finn Russell at half-back—a creative duo that was widely tipped to start against the Wallabies before the tour began.
Russell is joined by two fellow Scots in the backline: Huw Jones, who made a substitute appearance against Western Force, earns his first Lions start at outside centre, while Duhan van der Merwe returns on the wing after featuring in the pre-tour match against Argentina in Dublin.
Full-back Hugo Keenan and lock James Ryan are also set to make their first appearances of the tour, having recovered from calf and quad injuries respectively.
Lions captain Maro Itoje returns to the second row after sitting out the 54-7 win over the Force, partnering with Ollie Chessum in the engine room. The upcoming match against the Reds kicks off a demanding stretch of four games in just 11 days, leading up to the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19.
“This is when the real tour begins,” said Farrell. “The games are coming thick and fast, and it’s an exciting phase for us. We’ve been preparing the players for what’s ahead – not a lot of training, but plenty of game time and strong mental preparation.”
“If you ask any player what they’d prefer—playing in big Lions matches or training every day—the answer is clear. These games are a great chance for us to accelerate our growth and realize our potential as a team.”
