"Reinforcements" Lions Bolster Squad as Two More Players Arrive in Australia

White, 27, was packing down for Scotland duty in New Zealand when his phone rang. On the other end? Lions boss Andy Farrell, offering him the chance of a lifetime as Tomos Williams was ruled out with a hamstring injury following a try-scoring performance in the 54-7 demolition of Western Force.

“It’s pretty crazy,” White told Scottish Rugby. “He called me this morning—about an hour ago—and I just haven’t stopped shaking since. It’s an incredible honour. I’m really excited.”

White had been preparing to face the Maori All Blacks, Fiji and Samoa with Scotland in Whangarei but now jets into Australia with the biggest badge in rugby stitched to his chest.

White admitted the initial Lions squad announcement was tough to watch.

“It was hard not getting picked,” he said. “But I took it on the chin and focused on playing well for Toulon. I was buzzing to be on tour with Scotland. To play for Scotland is amazing.

"But now this? Someone must be looking out for me up there.”

Gus Warr has been called up to replace White in the Scotland camp, as the Lions get set to face the Waratahs on Saturday.

White wasn’t the only Scottish star to join up this week—Blair Kinghorn landed in camp too, fresh off Top 14 glorywith Toulouse. The pair even snapped a quick selfie after arriving in Oz.

Neither will feature in Tuesday’s clash with the Queensland Reds, but both are in line to make a mark this weekend.

That loss to Argentina had its moments of flair, but also plenty of rust, sloppiness, and sweat under the unusually sunny skies at a packed-out Aviva Stadium.

Fast forward to Perth, and Andy Farrell's men got their campaign properly up and running with a commanding 54-7 win over the Western Force. But while the scoreboard looked much healthier, not everything under the hood is running smoothly – especially when it comes to squad selection.

Let’s get stuck in…

Jac Morgan might be Wales’ top dog, but let’s not sugarcoat it – Wales are miles off the pace, and Morgan’s inclusion raises eyebrows.

With Toulouse’s Jack Willis sipping champagne in France after lifting the Top 14 trophy, it borders on a rugby crime that he's not on this tour.

Willis is widely tipped as the best back-rower in world rugby right now – ferocious at the breakdown, relentless in defence, and dynamic with ball in hand.

The Lions are supposed to be the cream of the crop. Morgan? Good player, no doubt. But Lions quality? Not quite.

Here’s a head-scratcher. Farrell only picked one out-and-out number 8… and it’s a guy who doesn’t even start regularly for his country.

Jack Conan is solid – he was excellent in South Africa – but with this depth of talent available, it’s a baffling call.

Tom Willis is a wrecking ball in red-hot form, and Taulupe Faletau, if fit, is one of the most complete and underappreciated players of his generation.

It’s not that Conan’s a bad player – far from it – but in this company, he looks like a safe option in a team that should be fearless.

It took just minutes for Luke Cowan-Dickie to provide the first big “oh no” moment of the 2025 tour.

A fumble at the tail of a driving maul gifted the Force the opening try – not exactly what you want from your senior hooker.

In truth, LCD hasn’t looked like the same player since his injury woes.

Compare him to Jamie George, who’s currently captaining England with authority, or even Wales’ Dewi Lake, who brings grunt and reliability in equal measure, and you start to wonder: how is Cowan-Dickie top of that hooker pile?