The British & Irish Lions have been dealt a major injury setback, with Elliot Daly expected to miss the remainder of the tour after fracturing his forearm in the 49-24 win over the Queensland Reds. Daly was taken to hospital for X-rays following the incident in the second half, and a replacement is likely to be called up, with Scotland utility back Tom Jordan a strong contender.
This is the second successive match in Australia where the Lions have suffered a significant injury, following the loss of scrum-half Tomos Williams to a torn hamstring. Daly had been emerging as a contender for the Test matchday 23, and his absence adds to the squad's woes ahead of the first Test on 19 July.
Despite the injury blow, the Lions delivered a dominant performance, scoring eight tries in Brisbane. Tommy Freeman crossed twice, while Maro Itoje, Andrew Porter, Jac Morgan, Huw Jones, and Garry Ringrose also touched down. The half-back combination of Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell showed promising chemistry.
However, the Lions were not without flaws, dropping eight balls in the first half and struggling with defensive cohesion early on. The Reds led twice in the opening quarter, with prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen and centre Josh Flook scoring tries. The Lions also face concerns over their scrummaging combinations.
Meanwhile, Australia are monitoring injuries to forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, both of whom are doubtful for this weekend's match against Fiji due to calf issues. Their availability for the first Test against the Lions remains uncertain.
