Lions call in Van Poortvliet as cover amid Gibson-Park injury concerns

DUBLIN (AP) — England scrumhalf Jack van Poortvliet has been called in by the British & Irish Lions as injury cover ahead of its tour opener against Argentina in Dublin on Friday.

The Lions didn’t say which of the squad’s three scrumhalves needed cover, but Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park missed Leinster’s win over the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship final on Saturday with an injury.

Van Poortvliet, who has 15 caps for England, will fly to Dublin on Tuesday to join up with the Lions. On Monday, he was named in England’s 36-player training squad ahead of a match against a France XV on Saturday.

After the Argentina game, the Lions will fly Down Under for a nine-match tour of Australia containing three tests against the Wallabies.

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby