Irish center Garry Ringrose has been ruled out of the British & Irish Lions’ opening test against Australia next Saturday after failing a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) following a knock sustained in Wednesday’s win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
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Ringrose, 30, had been in blistering form on tour, notching his third try in as many games during the Brumbies clash.
He appeared on track for a long-awaited test debut with the Lions before suffering a head knock in the final minutes.
He was briefly shaken by an attempted tackle, before completing another, and he later spoke with the media in the mixed zone post-match.
However, Lions head coach Andy Farrell confirmed the Irishman would be unavailable for the first test due to concussion protocols.
“Garry had a delayed reaction," Farrell told Sky Sports. "He had headaches for a day, and it carried on for the next day, so he went through concussion protocols and failed those.
“Unfortunately for him and for us, he’s 12 days [out,] so that puts him out of the first test.”
The stand-down period means Ringrose will target a return for the midweek fixture against the First Nations & Pasifika XV on July 22.
“You don’t mess around with these things, and it is unfortunate for him and everyone else,” Farrell added. “He’s in good spirits anyway, so we crack on.”
Ringrose, capped 67 times by Ireland, had been seen as a likely starter at outside center in Brisbane.
His absence could open the door for a reshuffle in the Lions’ back line, possibly paving the way for an all-Scottish combination of Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones at 10-12-13.
In a further setback for the tourists, hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie also faces a period of recovery after appearing to suffer a concussion in Saturday’s 48-0 victory over an Australia-New Zealand Invitational XV at Adelaide Oval.
Farrell confirmed the Lions will call up a cover at hooker in the coming days.
The Lions, who remain unbeaten on tour, now face an anxious wait to finalize their lineup ahead of the series opener at Suncorp Stadium.
Ringrose’s absence is a blow to both form and momentum, but the Lions are confident in their squad depth as they prepare for the Wallabies challenge.
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