Additions To The Squad
Injured England players Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Vickery and Mike Tindall were pencilled in, to be added to the squad subject to them regaining fitness. Only Wilkinson subsequently did so and was called up on 8 May. Iain Balshaw suffered a torn thigh muscle and was replaced in the squad by Mark Cueto on 17 May. Additional players were called up when players suffered injury (and in one case a ban) during the tour proper. The full list of call ups is:
- Jonny Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons and England) — Added 8 May
- Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks and England) — Added 17 May for Iain Balshaw
- Simon Shaw (Wasps and England) — Added 2 June for Malcolm O'Kelly
- Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets and Ireland) — Added 4 June for Lawrence Dallaglio
- Ryan Jones (Ospreys and Wales) — Added 10 June for Simon Taylor
- Brent Cockbain (Ospreys and Wales) — Added 26 June for Danny Grewcock, who was banned for 2 months after biting the All Blacks' Keven Mealamu during the first test.
- Jason White (Sale Sharks and Scotland) — Added 27 June for Richard Hill
Three team members did not travel to New Zealand with the bulk of the touring party. Jason Robinson was excused in order to spend time with his pregnant wife. Stephen Jones and Gareth Thomas were forced to delay their departures due to commitments to their French clubs. Jones arrived in New Zealand on 31 May, before the Lions played their first tour match, while Robinson arrived on 7 June. For a time, it was doubtful whether Thomas would be able to contend for a spot in the first Test, as he had not been released by his club, Toulouse. However, Toulouse, who were trying to add a French League title to their Heineken Cup, crashed out in the French semi-finals, allowing Thomas to leave for New Zealand. Thomas also arrived in New Zealand on 7 June. Eventually, Thomas would replace Brian O'Driscoll as tour captain after O'Driscoll suffered a tour-ending dislocated shoulder soon after the start of the first All Blacks Test on 25 June.
Read more about this topic: 2005 British And Irish Lions Tour To New Zealand
Famous quotes containing the word squad:
“Americans think of themselves collectively as a huge rescue squad on twenty-four-hour call to any spot on the globe where dispute and conflict may erupt.”
—Eldridge Cleaver (b. 1935)