British & Irish Lions issue Blair Kinghorn injury update as ANOTHER Leinster player joins as ‘cover’
Leinster utility back Jamie Osborne and British & Irish Lions full-back Jamie Osborne.
The British and Irish Lions have issued a positive update on the injury which full-back Blair Kinghorn sustained during their match against the Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday.
The famous touring team secured their fourth successive victory on their tour of Australia when they clinched a 36-24 victory over the Brumbies at GIO Stadium, but there were concerns over Kinghorn’s fitness when he was left on the field despite a knee injury.
Forced off in the first half against the Brumbies
The Scotland international took a bang to his knee early in the game and attempted to continue playing, but eventually left the field in the 25th minute with Marcus Smith coming on to replace him.
Kinghorn was the only survivor from the Lions‘ starting line-up for the Brumbies clash following last Saturday’s underwhelming 21-10 victory against the Waratahs and was seen as the favourite to wear the number 15 jersey in the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 19.
When asked after the Brumbies game on Sky Sports what the prognosis was on Kinghorn’s injury, Lions head coach Farrell said: “I was just speaking to him. Somebody landed on his knee, and he felt a little bit of something.
“He is walking around etc, so hopefully it’s not too serious.”
However, the Lions received positive news on Kinghorn’s injury after a scan, but have called up Leinster and Ireland utility back Jamie Osborne to join their 38-man squad as a precautionary measure.
“Blair Kinghorn received positive news following a scan on a knee injury sustained against the Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday night,” read a British and Irish Lions press statement.
“The Lions medical team will manage his return to training over the coming days.
Jamie Osborne ‘to provide additional training cover’
“Ireland’s Jamie Osborne will join the squad to provide additional training cover. Osborne is currently with the Ireland squad in Portugal and will arrive in Brisbane on Saturday to meet up with the squad.”
Leinster are the most well-represented club in the Lions squad and Osborne’s call-up means the Irish province now have 13 players in the overall group.
Kinghorn is the second Lions full-back who has suffered an injury after England’s Elliot Daly fractured his forearm in the second half of the tourists’ triumph over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.
He was replaced in the squad by former Red Rose team-mate Owen Farrell, who is set to play his first match of the tour off the replacements bench when the Lions take on an AUNZ Invitational XV in Adelaide on Saturday.
Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams was the Lions’ first casualty when he sustained a hamstring injury in their win over the Western Force in the opening match of their Australian tour in Perth.
Williams was replaced by Scotland’s Ben White.