South Africa back on table for Lions

LIONS contingency plans are on a knife-edge this week as there has been leadership upheaval at a critical juncture and the RFU are supporting moves to resurrect a tour of South Africa. Sportsmail has learned that former Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Martyn Phillips has had to be hurriedly brought in to deputise for Lions managing director Ben Calveley, who has been signed off from work duties on medical grounds. This disruptive development comes in a week which is believed to be regarded as a deadline for making a decision about the Covid-blighted 2021 tour. It was supposed to be in South Africa but the recent assumption was that matches would be switched to the UK and Ireland, as there is more prospect of being able to welcome crowds here, as lockdown restrictions ease. A document purporting to be a proposed itinerary — culminating in a four-Test series against the Springboks — was circulated earlier this month, but was dismissed as a hoax by the Lions and several leading sources. Now it appears that, with the UK

Government seemingly unwilling to underwrite the financial risk of arranging fixtures here, the concept of sending the squad to South Africa has been forced back on to the agenda and has gained further traction. Sources have indicated to Sportsmail that the RFU support this plan to revive the original tour schedule. It is understood any matches staged there would have to be behind closed doors, due to Covid, which is not regarded as a financially viable scenario.

FORMER England wing Dan Scarbrough has joined eight other players in the landmark legal case against World Rugby, the RFU and Wales Rugby Union over alleged failures to protect them from the risks caused by concussion. The two-cap 43-yearold was diagnosed in December with a traumatic brain injury, early onset dementia and probable CTE, a neurodegenerative disease.