Jamie George called up to Lions squad After Cowan-Dickie injury

England hooker Jamie George has been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad ahead of the opening Test against Australia in Brisbane next week.

The 34-year-old will travel directly from England’s tour of Argentina to join the Lions after Luke Cowan-Dickie was ruled out due to a suspected concussion sustained during Saturday’s 48-0 win over the AUNZ Invitational XV in Adelaide.

George was initially set to start for England in their second Test against Argentina in San Juan but withdrew from the lineup following the Lions call-up. His spot in the England XV has been taken by Theo Dan, while Northampton’s Curtis Langdon has been moved onto the bench.

Although George was considered a surprise omission when the initial Lions squad was announced in May, he had already been involved in the pre-tour training camp in Portugal, filling in for other players still engaged in club commitments. This will mark George’s third Lions tour, having previously featured in the 2017 series in New Zealand and the 2021 tour of South Africa.

Lions head coach Andy Farrell offered a reassuring update on Cowan-Dickie’s condition after the game. The Sale Sharks hooker was taken off in a neck brace as a precaution but was seen walking along the sidelines during the second half.

“He got up straight away as he got off the stretcher and he’s back to being his normal self,” said Farrell. “It’s unfortunate for him. It looked like a concussion, so we’ll follow the correct return-to-play protocols.”

George is expected to feature in the mid-week clash against the First Nations and Pasifika XV on 22 July. Ireland’s Dan Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher remain the likely picks for the starting roles in the first Test against Australia at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

He becomes the fourth player to be added to the touring squad as injury cover, following the earlier additions of Ben White, Owen Farrell, and Jamie Osborne.