Ireland's Cian Healy will return home from Australia on Sunday after an MRI scan revealed that he had suffered significant ankle ligament damage while playing for the Lions against Western Force on Wednesday.
He was stretchered from the pitch and the medical prognosis wasn’t good from the outset. The recovery time would not have allowed him to play another game on the tour.
It was a bittersweet day for the loosehead prop as he was initially cleared of a biting allegation made by Western Force scrumhalf Brett Sheehan, when an indepenedent disciplinary tribunal ruled that he had no case to answer.
Healy admitted: “I am very relieved that the hearing has cleared me of such an allegation,” he said. I was naturally very disappointed that there was a citing in the first place.
“I always maintained that nothing happened and that I had done nothing illegal. The opposition player’s arm hit me. It is as simple as that. The support I had from the management and all the lads was wonderful, and I am glad that it is all over.”
Lions manager Andy Irvine added: "The British and Irish Lions are very pleased with the outcome of today's judicial hearing in Brisbane. The judicial officer, Nigel Hampton QC, was extremely fair and thoroughly considered all the facts of the case in great detail.
“We always believed that Cian had done nothing wrong and had not acted maliciously in any way. The decision was important to the player’s, and indeed, squad’s integrity, as the allegation was a serious one.”
However the injury will come as a devastating blow to a player who would have been a front-runner for a test place.
British & Irish Lions Head Coach Warren Gatland said: "Firstly, our thoughts are with Cian. It has been a day of mixed emotions for him after being quite rightly being cleared of foul play but then the scan revealing the extent of the damage to his ankle. He has made a big contribution on and off the field in the last two weeks and we wish him well in his recovery."
There was further bad news for Gatland after another loosehead prop, Welshman Gethin Jenkins, due to make his first start of the tour against the Queensland Reds tomorrow, pulled up with a tightness in his calf following the captain's run.
Mako Vunipola will start with Dan Cole joining the replacements. Given that Healy is out of the tour and Jenkins is struggling with injury Gatland has elected to call up Scotland's Ryan Grant from his country's tour to South Africa. Grant will fly from Durban this evening and arrive in Brisbane tomorrow. This comes a day after England prop Alex Corbisiero was summoned from Argentina.
Gatland explained: “ Gethin has trained all week but he felt some tightness in his calf today so it’s right not to play him. We will assess him over the next 24-48 hours but Mako has done well in the last two games and this is another chance for him to step up.
"Given Cian's injury we have decided to bring Ryan in. He has played well in the RaboDirect Pro 12 this season and for Scotland in the RBS Six Nations and we look forward to him and Alex Corbisiero arriving tomorrow."
