Scotland scrumhalf and captain Mike Blair has been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa, replacing injured Irishman Tomas O’Leary, Lions officials said in a statement yesterday.
O’Leary fractured an ankle playing for Munster last month.
Blair was one of three national captains not to make the initial 37-man squad, along with England’s Steve Borthwick and Ryan Jones of Wales. His inclusion takes the Scottish contingent up to three, alongside lock Nathan Hines and prop Euan Murray.
He will fight it out with England’s Harry Ellis and Wales’ Mike Phillips for the number nine jersey for the three Test series against the world champions.
“Sport can be very cruel,” said coach Ian McGeechan. “One minute Tomas was celebrating his well-earned call-up to the Lions tour to South Africa, the next he is being carried off injured while playing for Munster against Llanelli Scarlets in Cork.”
“Unfortunately the injury was a serious one and it ruled Tomas out of the tour. We wish Tomas all the very best for a quick recovery,” he said.
“The selectors and I have had plenty of time to review the situation in terms of a replacement scrumhalf and were in agreement that Mike Blair should replace Tomas. He was on our reserve list for such an eventuality,” McGeechan said.
“As a national captain he is well respected by his peers and his 58 Tests for Scotland mark him as a very capable and experienced scrumhalf,” he said.
McGeechan still has to name a replacement for injured Welsh center Tom Shanklin, while he might also lose Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan, who faces a disciplinary hearing tomorrow on a gouging charge.
The Lions depart for South Africa on May 24, with their first match on May 30 and the first Test in Durban on June 20.
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