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Eight late Lions call-ups who went on to star in Test series
With Owen Farrell on his way to Australia to join the British & Irish Lions, we’ve taken a look back at players who found themselves in similar positions on previous tours.
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We’ve picked out eight notable late call-ups, plus a few honourable mentions — some of whom went on to become central figures in their respective series.
2021 – Kyle Sinckler
The 2021 Lions tour to South Africa was a fraught one — not only due to the pandemic-era restrictions, but also because several key players were ruled out through injury. Justin Tipuric, Finn Russell and Andrew Porter were among them, with Porter’s place going to Kyle Sinckler.
Sinckler was officially added to the squad on June 7 and featured in the series, coming off the bench.
Honourable mention: Adam Beard, who was called up to replace Alun Wyn Jones after the Wales captain was injured against Japan — only for Jones to recover in time to rejoin the tour three weeks later.
Marcus Smith also earns a nod, despite only appearing in the Lions v Stormers match.
2017 – Greig Laidlaw
Injuries saw seven original squad members withdraw, forcing Warren Gatland into a number of changes — some even after the first Test. None of the replacements featured in the Tests, but Greig Laidlaw made his mark across six midweek games, performing well against the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Maori All Blacks.
2013 – Alex Corbisiero
One of England’s leading looseheads at the time, Corbisiero wasn’t in the original squad but was called up after Cian Healy’s ankle injury ruled him out. Corbisiero went on to play in two Test matches and scored the opening try in the Lions’ 41–16 victory in the final Test.
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Ryan Grant was also brought in for the injured Gethin Jenkins and played in one Test, but Corbisiero’s contribution remains the more memorable.
2009 – Tom Croft
Initially overlooked, Croft was called up on May 20 to replace Alan Quinlan, who was handed a 12-week ban for eye-gouging Leo Cullen in the Heineken Cup semi-final. Croft featured in midweek fixtures before forcing his way into the Test side. He scored twice in the opening match and was regarded as one of the standouts of the tour.
Honourable mentions: John Hayes and Ross Ford also joined the tour as replacements, with Hayes selected ahead of the first Test.
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2005 – Ryan Jones
The ill-fated tour to New Zealand was Ryan Jones’ only Lions campaign, and the Welsh No.8 was one of the few to enhance his reputation. Called up to replace the injured Simon Taylor, Jones went on to play in all three Tests and earned Player of the Match in the Lions’ 30–19 win over Otago.
Honourable mention: Jason White was called up late to the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand, joining the squad shortly before the second Test in Wellington as a replacement for the injured Richard Hill.
2001 – Martin Corry
Corry, one of England’s great forwards, was in Canada with the national side when the Lions came calling. After helping England beat Canada, he was summoned to Australia and played a key role, starting the first and third Tests and coming off the bench in the second.
In an interview with the Lions, Corry recalled: “I was called up on the Friday before we were due to play our second Test for England against Canada. I went down to breakfast and I was completely unaware of what was happening in Australia.
“I got the next flight I could out to Australia. The rest of the squad were up north in Townsville near Cairns in the middle of nowhere. I flew into Brisbane and I was waiting around in the airport for my connection to Townsville when I met a couple of Welsh journalists. They said ‘Congratulations’ and I thought they were congratulating me on my call-up — but they said I’d been picked to play on the Tuesday.”
1997 – Mike Catt
Originally overlooked in favour of Paul Grayson, Catt was brought into the squad after Grayson suffered a muscular injury. The versatile England back made his way to South Africa and eventually broke into the matchday squad — coming off the bench in the second Test and starting the series decider.
2005 – Simon Easterby
Another late call-up for the 2005 Lions was Irish back row Simon Easterby, who replaced Lawrence Dallaglio after the former Wasps number eight picked up an ankle injury against Bay of Plenty.
Like Ryan Jones, Easterby started in the second and the last test, and even scored a try, being one of the three Lions who were able to slide over the line to score a five-pointer against the All Blacks on that tour. Now, 20 years later, he is part of the British and Irish Lions staff.
Late Call-Up Lions XV
15. Simon Zebo
14. Mark Cueto
13. Mike Catt
12. Owen Farrell
11. Shane Williams
10. Marcus Smith
9. Greig Laidlaw
1. Alex Corbisiero
2. Ross Ford
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. Simon Shaw
5. Adam Beard
6. Ryan Jones
7. Simon Easterby
8. Martin Corry