NORTH’S LIONS HOPES GO SOUTH
Injury puts Wales star’s place in doubt
GEORGE NORTH’S Lions hopes hang in the balance after he suffered a serious knee injury a fortnight before the squad is named.
And Joe Launchbury looks certain to be ruled out of the tour to South Africa after twisting his knee.
Wales star North, so impressive moving from wing to centre in his country’s Six Nations triumph, was expected to make his third straight tour.
But he collapsed with no one around him while playing for Ospreys in their 36-14 win over Cardiff Blues in the Rainbow Cup on Saturday. Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said: “You always worry when people get injured when no one is near them. That makes it sound like it’s structural. “We’ll know over the next few days when it settles and we get some images in to confirm what we are actually dealing with.” North now faces a race against time to prove his fitness.
England second row Launchbury was in agony after injuring himself trying to tackle Jonathan Joseph in Wasps’ win over Bath yesterday, and his hopes of finally making the British & Irish Lions after missing out in 2013 and 2017 look shattered.
Wasps head coach Lee Blackett said: “He is one of the top locks in Europe and he’s shown good form recently – we are gutted for him.
“It just doesn’t look like a short-term injury. It was a gutwrenching moment.”
Lions bosses will today meet with Premiership chiefs to try to find a solution to the vexed issue of player release for the training camp in Jersey and warm-up match with Japan on June 26.
Premiership Rugby has now received the Lions’ request complete with an offer of nearly £45,000-per-player compensation for taking them on the eight-match tour.
The club owners are unhappy with not only the figure but the decision to schedule the Japan game at Murrayfield on the day of the Premiership final.