Flannery out of Lions tour, Best set for call-up

IRELAND’s Lions squad jinx struck again last night with Munster hooker Jerry Flannery the latest Grand Slam hero ruled out of the tour to South Africa.

On the night Alan Quinlan’s 12-week playing ban was upheld, ruling the Munster man out of the Lions tour, team management confirmed his provincial colleague suffered torn ligaments in his left elbow and misses the trip to South Africa.

The heartbreaking news for Flannery could now mean a dramatic Lions call-up for Ulster hooker Rory Best, who according to sources, was making plans to leave the Irish squad in Vancouver and join Lions’ preparations in London.