British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell has told Sky Sports the injury withdrawal of prop Zander Fagerson is “heartbreaking”, adding the emotion on his phone call to replacement Finlay Bealham “welled me up.”
Scotland tighthead Fagerson was forced to pull out of the squad for the Lions’ tour of Australia this summer, live on Sky Sports, due to a calf injury, with Farrell admitting he experienced both sides of sport’s emotions this week.
“It’s heartbreaking, but at the same time, he’s [Fagerson] a realist,” Farrell told Sky Sports from the Lions’ training camp in Portugal on Wednesday.
“All rugby players know that’s the game. He’ll work unbelievably hard to get himself fit and who knows what’s going to happen down the track. Finlay [Bealham] has been called up in his place.”
Scotland tighthead prop Fagerson, a Lions tourist in 2021, was forced to pull out of the squad due to a calf injury
Asked why Ireland and Connacht prop Bealham is the man to replace Fagerson, Farrell responded: “Because he’s in good form. He’s very good at what he does. He was certainly right up there in the conversation from the very start as well. He would have been disappointed not to make the group.
“So we just know he’ll be a great fit for the group going forward. He’s the only conversation that I was able to have because of the way we did the squad announcement.
“By giving him a phone call and telling him he was selected within the squad, unfortunately for Zander, but it was one of the best phone conversations I’ve ever had. The emotion that went through the phone actually welled me up.
“It was great to be able to do that.”
While Bealham has been formally called up to the squad, two further players have been drafted in as temporary cover in the shape of hooker Jamie George and prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour ahead of the Lions’ opening tour match against Argentina in Dublin on Friday, June 20.
“We obviously need some front-row cover,” Farrell said. “Obviously, there isn’t just the players we’ve picked that are going to be playing in the finals [Premiership, URC] that are coming up at the weekend. There are other players that are not picked that we’re going to be looking at as well. But we needed cover for this week.
“Who knows what’s going to happen this week or next week, etc. So we’ll be open-minded enough about that. But Jamie’s very experienced and Asher’s full of youth and vibrance.
“His all-around game is something that potentially is going to be fantastic in the not-too-distant future, so it’s great to have them both here.
“Fingers crossed for everyone that everyone comes through fine and healthy, but we know that’s not always the case in the sport we play. We’ll just roll with the punches.”
Farrell and co are already without some 15 players this week, due to the Premiership and URC finals which take place this Saturday June 14 – six days before the Lions clash vs the Pumas.
Bath duo Finn Russell and Will Stuart, Leicester’s Ollie Chessum and 12 Leinster players (Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan. Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Hugo Keenan) are currently absent.
Farrell says disruption is part and parcel of what makes a Lions tour, though.
“It is what it is. You’ve just got to be open-minded enough to see what you end up with. What we’ve ended up with is a squad of 24.
“It’s a new group that’s come together for the first time. So to keep it small and tight gives plenty of time in this five-day camp for people to get in the saddle and get up to speed with new systems, a new way of playing, etc. So it’s actually nice to keep it tight enough as far as that’s concerned. We’ll see what we need to add to the squad in the coming weeks.
“That’s the nature of the tour. As modern-day coaches, we’re used to having a squad of 35, 36 and going 15 on 15 and being able to go through all the different types of scenarios. But everyone that’s been on a Lions tour knows that’s never going to be the case.
“I mean, you could be playing on a Wednesday evening and we’ve trained in the past with eight or nine players and you’re trying to get players in to fill the gaps. It’s never perfect.
Farrell, stood with 2025 Lions captain Maro Itoje, says disruption in terms of numbers and training is all part of Lions touring
“To come here and have a start like that is how you mean to go on, it’s good for us.”
While planning for the historic Lions fixture against Argentina without those absent – a first time the side will ever play a match in Ireland – Farrell did concede some players may play in a domestic final and feature for the Lions the week after.
“At this moment in time, who quite knows, but the nature of a Lions tour is players have got to back up three days later, whether that’s starting or on the bench.
“So playing against Argentina on Friday night, that’s a six-day turnaround from the finals, so we might need one or two. We’ll see how we go.”
Watch the Lions tour of Australia live on Sky Sports in 2025
Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.
