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Lion Luke Cowan-Dickie joins Garry Ringrose as major tour doubt
By Ian Cameron
The British and Irish Lions’ preparations for the first Test have suffered a fresh blow after hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie was stretchered off during Saturday’s bruising encounter with the Australia and New Zealand Invitational XV in Adelaide.
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The 32-year-old Sale Sharks hooker looked in serious trouble following a heavy head knock sustained during a collision with the hip of a charging AUNZ ball-carrier early in the first half.
He received lengthy treatment on the field before being removed from play on a cart.
Cowan-Dickie is now a major doubt for the remainder of the tour as he will now almost certainly face return to play protocols that will likely end his participation in the series.
Cowan-Dickie’s early departure saw Ronan Kelleher pressed into action.
The incident adds to a mounting list of injury concerns for head coach Andy Farrell, with Garry Ringrose also now a doubt after he sat out training this week following the win over the Brumbies.
The Irish Independent report that Ringrose has suffered a suspected head injury. Ringrose scored his third try of the tour as the Lions secured a fourth win in Australia with a 36-24 victory over the Super Rugby semi-finalists in Canberra, but appeared to take a knock in contact late on in the 74th minute.
Toulouse fullback Blair Kinghorn is already undergoing a scan on a knee issue sustained against the Brumbies midweek and Elliot Daly and Tomos Williams have already been ruled out of the tour altogether, following in-game injuries picked up against Aussie Super Rugby sides.
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Owen Farrell, who only joined up with the squad last Friday following Daly’s injury, was named among the replacements for the clash and received whistles and jeers from the stadium as he came on at 49 minutes.
