British and Irish Lions Watch: Ellis Genge misses key Bristol Bears game due to injury 

With less than three weeks to go before the British and Irish Lions play their first warm-up game against Argentina in Dublin, now is the best time for players to showcase their form ahead of the tour. 

The Premiership played out the final round of the regular season while the URC knockouts started with the quarter-finals, so those who will be involved in the Lions had a huge platform to perform on this weekend. 

Some teams rested players, especially in the Premiership, so not everyone was featured, but it was good to see some of the best talent from the Home Nations going toe-to-toe. 

Here, Charlie Elliott looks at some of those Lions picks who performed (or didn’t) this weekend. 

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Joe McCarthy 

Leinster managed to win their URC quarter-final against Scarlets, although the game was a lot closer than they would have liked. 

A tight first half saw them only one point to the good going into the break, but they turned on the heat, eventually got going and won the game 33-21 in Dublin. 

Lock McCarthy put in a great shift, especially offensively and was a huge presence in the second row for the Irish side. 

He used his size and power to constantly disrupt the Scarlets’ defence and showed some neat hands to put his teammates into the space that he created. 

McCarthy was also part of a near-perfect set-piece performance from Leinster and played well defensively too. 

Tadhg Beirne 

Munster may have fallen to defeat in Durban after the Sharks beat them on penalties, but Beirne’s talismanic performance won’t be forgotten for a while and is a very good omen for the Lions tour. 

Wearing the number five shirt, he captained his team and stepped up to the plate with some key moments at crucial times. 

They spent a lot of time on the back foot and had some hairy moments defensively, but he rallied the troops and kept everyone focused on the task at hand. 

Seven minutes into extra time, he won a penalty to turn the ball over, which really gave his team a lift and felt like a turning point for them mentally. 

Even though they lost, Beirne can be proud of how he played. 

Hugo Keenan 

The Ireland fullback hugely boosted his chances of selection in Australia with a very impressive performance for Leinster, made even better by the fact that for large portions of the game, his teammates struggled. 

That made his game even better, as he rose above his peers to carry the Leinster attack for portions of the game. 

He finished the game with the most carries of anyone in the game and scored a second-half try at a key moment that really shifted the momentum in their favour. 

Defensively as well, he was solid, and will give Andy Farrell a couple of selection headaches with regards to selecting either Keenan or Blair Kinghorn. 

Tomos Williams 

Gloucester‘s season may have ended, but it really has been one to remember for scrum-half Williams. 

One of the in-form players in the Premiership this season, the Wales star topped off a great campaign at Kingsholm with a tidy performance against Northampton Saints. 

He kept the Cherry and Whites’ attack ticking and was central to a lot of the quick passing play that has become a staple of Gloucester’s game. 

Williams also scored a try, and it was a great way to round off the season, even if they failed to make the play-offs. 

His performances have been rewarded with a Player of the Season nomination, and he will be backing his chances of a start in Australia. 

Ellis Genge 

Bristol Bears needed a win to stay in the top four of the Premiership, so eyebrows were raised when Ellis Genge wasn’t selected against Harlequins. 

It has since come out that Genge suffered a minor knock in training and was rested as a precaution, to make sure that he doesn’t miss the semi-final against Bath. 

Speaking about the injury, Pat Lam said: “Ellis took a knock in training on Tuesday, and he didn’t train on Thursday, and I really wanted everyone to be available for training, so I had a quiet word with him and said listen, ‘There is no point taking a risk’. He will be available this week.” 

Possibly a slight worry and one to keep an eye out for, it does appear to be something that will be sorted out ahead of the tour at least. 

Jamison Gibson-Park 

Given that Williams had a good week, Gibson-Park’s poor performance against Scarlets means that his potential of starting for the Lions has taken a bit of a hit. 

He was solid enough and didn’t drop an absolute howler, just wasn’t quite at the level of what is expected from a Lions player. 

Gibson-Park tried to make things happen and was pretty quick when receiving the ball, but his passes were slightly wayward and really hampered Leinster’s momentum. 

One game won’t define whether or not he starts, and he probably will, but this game was a bump in the road. 

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