Call for Hartley
England captain on Lions standby
Dylan Hartley may yet feature in the Lions tour of New Zealand after Ken Owens, the Wales hooker, was ruled out of the Scarlets’ play-off match against Leinster tomorrow with an ankle injury.
As captain of England’s back-toback Six Nations-winning team, Hartley was the highest-profile omission from the Lions’ 41-man squad. Head coach Warren Gatland selected Rory Best, Owens and Jamie George ahead of Hartley, who also missed the 2013 Lions tour to Australia after picking up an 11-match suspension.
Gatland indicated at the time of the squad announcement that the choice for the final hooking berth came down to Hartley and George, his England understudy. That should mean that Hartley is the next cab on the rank, although Scotland’s Fraser Brown has his supporters.
All will depend on the severity of Owens’s ankle injury, which he sustained at the start of the week in training for the Scarlets. The 30-year-old was then assessed at the Lions training camp at the Vale of Glamorgan, although few details were forthcoming.
“Ken is missing a big game for the Scarlets, but with a bit of luck he will be OK for the tour,” Neil Jenkins, the Lions skills coach, said. A call will be made next week at the Lions’ training camp at Carton House, near Dublin. Scarlets have already indicated that Owens would not be available for the final should they beat Leinster. With the squad flying to New Zealand on May 29 and due to play their first game four days after they land that leaves a small window in which Owens can make a full recovery.
The Lions would be unable to afford the risk of carrying only two fit hookers in their squad for that first match against the New Zealand Barbarians in Whangarei.
Certainly Gatland will not want to lose Owens, who was the form hooker in the Six Nations. Scrumhalf Ben Youngs was the first player to withdraw, on account of his sister-in-law’s terminal illness.
Gatland’s nerves will undoubtedly be further frayed this weekend when more than half his squad are likely to be involved in the Premiership and Pro12 play-offs.
Hartley is also poised to start Northampton’s Champions Cup play-off semi-final against Connacht tomorrow.
Meanwhile, New Zealand assistant coach Wayne Smith will step down after this year’s Rugby Championship which ends in October.