Delon Armitage is facing D-Day as injury woes hit Lions' hopefuls

Chris Jones
22 May 2009

Delon Armitage will discover today if he has fought off a late challenge from Scotland's Chris Paterson to win a place on the Lions tour of South Africa.

The London Irish utility back has been the favourite to get the call since it was announced on Wednesday that a thigh injury means Wales' Leigh Halfpenny will miss the first two weeks of the trip.

Although Armitage is still in pole position, the issue has been clouded by a thought among the Lions coaches that perhaps Edinburgh's Paterson would be a better choice because of his excellent goal kicking.

Head coach Ian McGeechan will assess the situation with his backroom staff today before telephoning Armitage to tell him whether he will be on the plane to South Africa on Sunday. McGeechan will also decide on a replacement for Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery, who injured his elbow in training, with compatriot Rory Best and Scotland's Ross Ford in the frame.

Halfpenny will link up with the rest of the squad once he recovers and the Cardiff Blues player is determined to make up for lost time when he arrives in South Africa.

The 20-year-old, who was at the squad camp in Bagshot this week, said: "Having had a taste of working with the Lions, it's made me more determined to get back there. I've been sent back home as a precaution more than anything, having picked up a minor strain in my right quad. We have to be intelligent and just take things day by day, work slowly on it rather than risk making it worse.

"The Lions management want me fully fit for the tour, so I'm having treatment with the Blues rather than risking making it worse in full training with the Lions.

"It's great that the door is still open to me because when the management first spoke to me about this, I thought it was completely over for me. But I'm determined to be back after the wonderful experience I've just had."

As well as the injuries to Halfpenny and Flannery, McGeechan has also had to deal with Tom Shanklin (shoulder), Tomas O'Leary (ankle) and Alan Quinlan (banned) pulling out of the tour. No wonder the coach will be nervously awaiting the outcome of the two club European finals when some of his men will be in the thick of battle. Tonight, Euan Murray line ups at tight-head for Northampton against Bourgoin in the European Challenge Cup Final at the Twickenham Stoop while six Lions will be involved in tomorrow's Heineken Cup Final when Leicester take on Leinster at Murrayfield.

Among the players on standby for the Lions is Danny Cipriani, who was this week left out of England's squad for the match with the Barbarians and next month's Tests against Argentina.

The London Wasps fly-half was chosen for the Saxons but is determined to show England team manager Martin Johnson he deserves a place in the full team.

Cipriani said: "Playing for the Saxons is a way for me to get into the senior side.

"I'd have liked to have thought my form was good enough but Martin Johnson thought it wasn't so you've got to go out with the Saxons and put a marker down."

Asked about his different status in the eyes of Johnson and McGeechan, Cipriani said: "It's a difference of opinion. I've just got to make sure I do all the things Johnno wants me to do and hopefully he can see I'm ready to pull on the England shirt again."