Wales star ruled out of Lions tour with injury as Andy Farrell picks replacement

Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams has been ruled out of the rest of the British & Irish Lions tour with a hamstring injury. Ben White, currently in Auckland with Scotland, has been called up as a replacement and will join the Lions in Brisbane.

Williams was injured in the act of scoring his second try in the 54-7 win over Western Force on Saturday in Perth and was challenging for a Test spot but his trip is finished. Boss Andy Farrell has named his side for Wednesday’s clash with the Reds and is boosted by the return of Irish duo scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and full-back Hugo Keenan.

They both make their first starts of the tour after arriving in Australia carrying injuries with Gibson-Park now recovered from a glute problem and Keenan back from a calf strain. The pair both missed Leinster’s URC final win over the Bulls.

Elsewhere, tour captain Maro Itoje returns to lead the side and fly-half Finn Russell backs up his start against Force with another one in Brisbane.

Ollie Chessum, a replacement in Perth, partners Itoje in the second row and England prop Will Stuart gets his first start of the trip.

Ireland No.8 Jack Conan, another who came off the bench against Force, starts in the back row with Jac Morgan and Tom Curry.

In the backs Tommy Freeman and Duhan van der Merwe are the starting wings with Ireland’s Bundee Aki and Scotland’s Huw Jones linking up at centre.

With White on his way from Auckland, England scrum-half Alex Mitchell is on the bench and will feature in his third game out of three on the tour if he comes on.

Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Will Stuart, Maro Itoje (capt), Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Jack Conan

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith, Garry Ringrose