Tuesday’s rugby news has a Lions legend out, Wallaby injury updates, Digby on the lam and some dubious clean-outs in the Samoan squad.
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Major blow to Lions squad
Veteran Irish lock Paul O’Connell will play no further part in the Lions’ tour. O’Connell was injured during Saturday’s 23-21 victory and further scans have revealed that the 33-year-old has suffered a displaced fracture of the right forearm. O’Connell is regarded as a cornerstone of the forward pack and is on his third Lions tour. ‘Paul’s a massive loss,’ Lions assistant coach Graham Rowntree said. ‘He’s such a big influence on the group and has been playing exceptionally well.’
Geoff Parling is set to replace O’Connell for the second Test on Saturday. There are also fears over the fitness of Alex Corbisiero, who has a tight calf muscle. Ireland prop Tom Court has already been pushed onto the bench against the Rebels and is the eighth call-up to the Lions touring party as injury reinforcement.
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Australian injury update
Meanwhile, following on from yesterday’s injury reports, Pat McCabe and Digby Ioane have been ruled out of any further participation in the Lions Tour due to neck and shoulder injuries respectively. The pair will be joined on the sideline for the second Test by fullback Berrick Barnes, who is experiencing the prolonged effects of a nasty concussion suffered during the first Test.
The news is better for inside centre Christian Leali’ifano who has made an excellent recovery from his concussion, and is expected to be available for Saturday’s second test. Medical staff are also confident that Adam Ashley-Cooper will be able to play after undergoing scans on his shoulder. The Wallabies team for Saturday’s second Test in Melbourne will be named on Thursday.
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Digby facing legal trouble
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Wallabies winger Digby Ioane after he failed to appear in a Melbourne court on Monday, facing a charge of unlawful assault. Ioane was allegedly involved in a brawl, assaulted a man on March 9 after the Reds’ win over the Melbourne Rebels.
Ioane wasn’t arrested at the time by Victoria Police but was later charged on summons on May 17, while he was in South Africa with the Reds. The ARU, who were initially made aware of the issue through media reports, briefly stated, ‘Digby will report to Victoria Police and will be issued with a revised court date. No further comment will be made at this time.’
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Samoan fullback cleared of squirrel grab
Samoan fullback James So’oialo, who was cited for grabbing the testicles of Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss during Saturday’s match, has had his charges dismissed. So’oialo was cited by Peter Larter (RFU) according to Law 10.4, ‘committing an act contrary to good sportsmanship.’ ‘On the balance of probabilities, the player did not intend to squeeze Strauss’s testicles, nor were his actions reckless,’ Larter said.
And very quickly, The Australian Under 20s have finished seventh at the IRB Junior World Championship following a 28-17 win over Ireland in their final match. The team won just two of five matches throughout the JWC.
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