The Lions could be about to lose their first player on tour while the Wallabies could be adding a star name.
Quade Coop-ed up and ready to go
He may have been overlooked by Robbie Deans for the initial Wallabies squad, but most observers feel he will be one of the six additions to the squad next Tuesday. He has been named in the Queensland Reds side to face the Lions on Saturday and a strong performance should cement his claims.
Perhaps the most ‘mercurial’ out-half since Freddy Michalak, he is one of nine internationals named with Ewen McKenzie having to make do with a number of players already in the Wallaby camp, such as Digby Iaone, Will Genia, James Slipper and James Horwill.
After facile victories in their first two games, this is expected to be a more difficult assignment, with McKenzie urging his troops to become the first Queensland side since 1971 to gain a famous victory over the Lions.
Cooper may not have sufficient support to savour a victory over the tourists this weekend, but we doubt this is the last the Lions will see of the Kiwi-born playmaker.
Healy to find out if he can add incident to injury
Cian Healy will learn his fate at 11pm tomorrow night Irish time as the loosehead prop will appear before a hearing in relation to an alleged biting incident during the first-half.
It takes a lot to keep Healy down
The Leinster man may have played his last game in a Lions jersey regardless as he left the field of play with suspected ankle ligament damage, but Western Force scrum-half Brett Sheehan has claimed the prop sunk his gnashers into him, though video evidence seemed inconclusive.
We hope that both the incident and injury are not as serious as first feared, but the outlook doesn’t look good.
