England Scrum-Half Van Poortvliet Joins British and Irish Lions for Argentina Match

Jack van Poortvliet, the 24-year-old Leicester Tigers and England scrum-half, has been called up to train with the British and Irish Lions ahead of their warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin. His addition comes as cover due to a minor glute strain suffered by Leinster and Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, who is a leading contender for the Lions' scrum-half position for the summer Tests in Australia. Van Poortvliet, who has earned 15 caps for England and was recently named in Steve Borthwick's 36-player training squad for England's upcoming match against France XV, will join the Lions camp to ensure there are three fit specialist scrum-halves available for training. Other scrum-halves in the Lions squad include England's Alex Mitchell and Wales' Tomos Williams, both expected to feature in the matchday squad against Argentina. The Lions face Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday before traveling to Australia for the Test series, with coach Andy Farrell monitoring players' fitness closely. Van Poortvliet's recent form and experience add depth and options to the Lions' lineup amid injury concerns within the squad.