Lions sign Gregor Brown as Joe McCarthy faces injury concern for second Test

Ireland’s Joe McCarthy in Doubt for Lions’ Second Test Against Australia Due to Injury

Ireland lock Joe McCarthy is unlikely to feature in the British & Irish Lions’ upcoming Test against Australia due to a foot injury. With McCarthy sidelined, Andy Farrell has called up Scotland’s Gregor Brown to reinforce the squad’s second-row options, bringing the total number of players to 45.

McCarthy was replaced after 43 minutes in the Lions’ 27-19 win over Australia in Brisbane on Saturday. Farrell confirmed the early substitution was due to injury. “It’s plantar fasciitis,” Farrell said. “It was bothering him, so we took him off. Hopefully, we acted soon enough.”

Brown joins the squad after Scotland’s recent match against Samoa in Auckland. He arrived in Melbourne on Sunday alongside teammates Ewan Ashman and Rory Sutherland. With Darcy Graham already present, there are now 12 Scottish players in the squad, along with previous additions Jamie George, Thomas Clarkson, and Jamie Osborne. Farrell is expected to rest key players for Tuesday’s encounter against the First Nations & Pasifika XV.

In Saturday’s match, Farrell’s forwards set an early physical tone, dominating Australia in the first half. However, changes may be necessary for Melbourne. “We started well, especially the forwards,” said inside centre Sione Tuipulotu. “Their early impact took momentum away from Australia. A lot of credit goes to the forward pack for how they began the game.”

Farrell cautioned his team to remain wary of an Australian fightback, recalling how the Wallabies leveled the 2013 series after losing in Brisbane. Meanwhile, Joe Schmidt believes his squad will benefit from the return of Rob Valentini, who has recovered from a calf issue.

Tuipulotu acknowledged the challenges Valentini presents. “I’ve known Rob since we were young, and his presence makes a difference,” he said. “Players like Will Skelton, if they return from injury, will add strength. But we need to be ready for that. We were strong, but we know we can perform better.

“They’ll be desperate, and so will we. The key is ensuring we match their intensity because we want to finish the series next weekend.”

Farrell will announce his lineup for the match against the First Nations & Pasifika XV on Monday. Owen Farrell is set to make his first start of the tour and is among the candidates for captaincy, along with Jamie George, Wales’ Jac Morgan, and Ireland’s Ryan and Josh van der Flier.