Jamie George reportedly called into Lions camp

Jamie George has been called into the British and Irish Lions squad for their training camp in Portugal this week, according to reports in The Daily Telegraph and The Times.

The England and Saracens hooker was one of the headline omissions from Andy Farrell’s squad, losing out to the Ireland duo of Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher, and compatriot Luke Cowan-Dickie.

But with both Sheehan and Kelleher preparing for the United Rugby Championship final against the Bulls at Croke Park on Saturday, and Cowan-Dickie fresh from a bruising Gallagher Premiership semi-final, in which he played all 80 minutes in a defeat to Leicester Tigers, the double Lions tourist has been drafted into the squad before they embark for a training camp in the Algarve.

The Leinster hookers are a small fraction of their club alone that will be unavailable this week, alongside Gallagher Premiership and Top 14 players.

Fixture

British & Irish Lions

British & Irish Lions

24 - 28

Full-time

Argentina

All Stats and Data

A sizeable 10 other players will not join the Lions squad this week from Leinster, nor will Bath’s Finn Russell or Will Stuart, or Leicester Tigers’ Ollie Chessum, as the two outfits prepare to face each other in the Gallagher Premiership final on Saturday. Toulouse’s Blair Kinghorn is still preoccupied with club duties, with the play-offs in the Top 14 yet to begin.

The Lions take on Argentina in Dublin in less than two weeks on Friday, June 20, but will have the majority of their squad available by then, barring Kinghorn.

It is unknown whether George will still be with the Lions squad next week, or what players from Leinster, Bath or Leicester will play the first match. But an England XV host a France XV at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium the day after the Lions face Argentina, before flying to South America for a two-Test series against the Pumas themselves, and one Test against the USA, so Farrell’s decision will have an impact on Steve Borthwick as well.