Lions Tour News round-upClive Woodward faces further disruption to his Lions plans tomorrow after an inauspicious day which saw Neil Back cited for punching in last weekend's English Premiership final and Leeds' Iain Balshaw ruled out of the trip with a strained thigh.
The loss of Balshaw, who has made a slower than expected recovery after limping out of the English Cup final against Bath a month ago has been offset by the inclusion of his English team-mate Mark Cueto, a controversial omission when the squad was named last month.
Yesterday's confirmation that Back will face a English Rugby Football Union disciplinary tribunal in London tomorrow evening, makes it highly likely the Leicester flanker will be unavailable for at least the first two games of the campaign, which kicks off on Monday when the Lions face Argentina at the Millennium Stadium.
Although Woodward has spoken to Back - at 36 the oldest player to be selected for an original Lions party - and says the flanker is pleading his innocence, there is every chance of a three-week ban for the punch at the back of a lineout which forced the victim Joe Worsley to have 13 stitches inserted in his mouth.
Back will be represented at the hearing by Richard Smith QC, the Lions' legal expert, but the fact the incident is being pursued suggests the tribunal will take some persuading not to impose a suspension.
The loss of Balshaw, meanwhile, is desperate luck for the player who has been dogged by injuries since the last Lions tour to Australia four years ago.
Woodward has not picked the 25-year-old Sale wing Cueto since dropping him from the England squad following a short tour to Argentina three years ago, but described him yesterday as "the form winger in European rugby".
With eight tries in his eight Tests, Cueto is a proven try-scorer, but thought he was the victim of a hoax when Sale's director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre gave him the news. He said: "Although I was told I was on the reserve list I wasn't expecting to get called up."
The 22 players to be announced today as the team to face Argentina in Cardiff next Monday evening will be glad to get through that match unscathed, although Woodward will not have an entirely full hand to chose from.
The only man missing from the squad's base in the Vale of Glamorgan yesterday was Stephen Jones of Clermont Auvergne, who is required by his club for the French Championship game with Beziers on Sunday, but he and the Sale posse (who face Pau in the Challenge Cup final at the weekend) will not be involved against the Pumas.
Wales' captain Gareth Thomas is also required for Toulouse in Sunday's Heineken European Cup final, the result of which will determine when he can fly out.
If Toulouse beat Stade Français and are guaranteed a European spot, the chances are he will be released from his club duties. The Lions hope Jones will fly out on Sunday week four days after the main party has left.
Woodward has made it clear he wants to give all his players at least one start in the build-up to the first Test against the All Blacks in Christchurch on June 25th and is adamant no special favours will be granted to anyone, least of all Jonny Wilkinson.
Woodward also revealed he had spoken to all Leicester's eight Lions involved in last Saturday's Premiership final defeat to find out why they had underperformed so spectacularly. The feedback he received was it had just been "one of those games".
Any repeat in a Lions jersey, though, would be disastrous. "This is the most difficult Lions tour," stressed Woodward.
"We're very clear how tough this tour is going to be and there are no easy games. But if we get our preparation right and arrive with a fit, well-rested team we've got every chance."
