BRITISH and Irish Lions star Luke Cowan-Dickie was stretchered off in a neck brace in the first half of the Lions’ clash with the AUNZ Invitational side.
Cowan-Dickie needed medical assistance and the game was briefly suspended after a low tackle saw him take a knee to the head.
GettyLuke Cowan-Dickie of British & Irish Lions was stretched off with a neck brace on following a nasty collision[/caption]
PACowan-Dickie was treated by medical staff for over five minutes after taking a knee to the head[/caption]
GettyHe is thought to have been left unconscious by the collision[/caption]
The Lions held a firm 17-0 lead when the 32-year-old took the blow to the head, seeing him fall to the ground and fail to get back to his feet.
The Sale hooker was left on the turf and needed medical assistance before being transferred to a stretcher, placed in a neck brace and driven off the pitch on a cart.
Current HIA protocols now mean that head coach Andy Farrell may not be able to select Cowan-Dickie for next week’s opening Test against Australia.
A simple concussion must now be followed by a “graduated return to play” process, with a minimum stand-down period of 12 days.
Ronan Kelleher was the man who replaced Cowan-Dickie before the half-time break.
Farrell, his team and the fans were handed a positive sign when Cowan-Dickie raised his hand to wave to the crowd as he was being taken off the pitch.
While he was later seen on his feet walking around to the tunnel when the second half was about to begin.
Reports have claimed that the 49-time England international was knocked out cold by the collision.
APCowan-Dickie will likely miss the first test against Australia now[/caption]
Ireland’s Dan Sheehan and Kelleher are the only hookers left on tour so Farrell will need cover for training this week ahead of the clash with the Wallabies.
England’s Jamie George, currently in Argentina, trained with the Lions before they left and would be the obvious pick.
Farrell could also turn to Wales’ Dewi Lake who helped his country end their losing streak in Japan earlier in the day.
Former Lions star Dan Biggar said on Sky Sports: “It’s a head injury so we hope first and foremost that Luke Cowan-Dickie is OK.
“But seven days out from the first Test, this is really worrying for Andy Farrell and his coaches.”
Cowan-Dickie’s Injury aside it was an encouraging performance for Farrell’s Lions, who blitzed the AUNZ Invitational side 48-0.
Several tourists including Scotland centres Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, No.8 Ben Earl, wing Mack Hansen and scrum-half Ben White impressed.
Jones’ performance was in the nick of time with Ireland’s Garry Ringrose struggling to make the opening game after suffering a head injury.
He was taken off with half an hour remaining, presumably to protect him for next weekend and replaced by Owen Farrell, who promptly came and had a hand in three tries.
Wing Duhan van der Merwe grabbed a hat-trick after having a mixed bag of a tour but they were all pretty simple run-ins for the South African-born Scot.
With boss Farrell set to announce his line-up on Thursday, Finn Russell and Jamison Gibson-Park look nailed on as half-backs and skipper Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong and Joe McCarthy look certainties.
But there was something to play for these players in Adelaide and they got the Lions off to a flyer, breaking their habit of staring slowly so far on this trip.
They were 17-0 up after 20 minutes thanks to hat-trick of Scottish tries with Van der Merwe strolling over for two and scrum-half Ben White bagging the other.
Tuipulotu and lock Scott Cummings added second half scores before Van der Merwe claimed his hat-trick meaning the Scottish contingent had scored the first six tries.
That sequence was only broken when Ireland hooker Kelleher worked a good line out move with Pierre Schoeman to score after 69 minutes and the Lions were in cruise control with Farrell’s chip through making an eighth score for Henry Pollock.
AFPDuhan van der Merwe bagged a hat-trick of tries[/caption]
APOwen Farrell made his return to the Lions set-up after his late call-up[/caption]
AFPHead coach Andy Farrell now has a selection headache ahead of the first Test against Australia next week[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
