Bowe could be fit in fortnight

Munster and Ireland’s Simon Zebo was last night winging his way from Texas to Australia following his call-up by the British & Irish Lions as injury cover for international team-mate Tommy Bowe.

Zebo, 23, got the call from Lions operations director Guy Richardson following Ireland’s hard-fought 15-12 victory over the United States in Houston on Saturday night, as Bowe was having surgery on a broken bone in his hand, suffered earlier in the day against Queensland Reds in Brisbane. Bowe’s injury dealt a serious blow to Warren Gatland’s plans for the first Test against Australia back at Suncorp Stadium in 12 days as the Ulster man Bowe was in the process of cementing his place on the wing with a fine performance in the 22-12 victory over the Reds.

The head coach had already lost two loosehead props with tour-ending injuries to Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins, with Alex Corbisiero and Ryan Grant arriving as replacements in time to watch the Lions overcome the considerable challenge offered by Queensland. Yet Gatland, speaking before Zebo was sent for, held out hope that Bowe’s surgical procedure to stabilise a bone fracture may go well enough for him to return in a fortnight.

Gatland explained: “The surgeon who spoke to him said that if everything goes all right it could be just a couple of weeks. Once the plate is put in, the bones are fixed, basically.”

Bowe’s condition is to be assessed “over the next few days” according to the Lions, by which time Zebo will have joined up with Gatland and the squad in Newcastle, where game five of the 2013 tour takes place tomorrow against the Combined Country XV.

Judging by the way he has handled the leap from Munster academy to senior side to Test rugby in two seasons, the Corkman will take it in his stride just six caps into his Ireland career and boost morale along with Corbisiero and Grant for squad still reeling from the latest injury setback.

“It takes a bit of life out of the squad,” Conor Murray said yesterday of Bowe’s misfortune, before learning his provincial team-mate Zebo was inbound. “Tommy’s been doing really well. He was (a Lion) four years ago and was doing really well in the last few games. He looked really dangerous, made a good few line breaks. He’s been coaching the lads in training and telling them what to expect. He’s going to be a huge loss.”

There was further anxiety on Saturday when Gatland’s likely first-choice Test fly-half, Jonny Sexton, needed treatment on a hamstring, prompting worrying flashbacks of his premature exit from Ireland’s Six Nations campaign. But Gatland said yesterday: “He had a scan last night, but there was no tear in the hamstring, just a little bit tight.”

Nevertheless, Gatland’s decision to bring only two recognised fly-halves on tour may expose the Lions to more anxious moments before and during the Tests. Tomorrow’s game in Newcastle will see both Sexton and Owen Farrell stood down, with full-back Stuart Hogg starting in the No.10 jersey as the head coach looks to wrap his playmakers in cotton wool with the clock ticking towards the first Test. The Lions play the New South Wales Waratahs next Saturday and then the ACT Brumbies in Canberra the following Tuesday ahead of the series opener with the Wallabies and Gatland cannot afford further mishaps to his fly-halves, although he stood by his decision to bring only two, with Hogg signalled since the squad announcement as their back-up.

“That’s why neither of the 10s are involved on Tuesday. Owen got a bit of a dead leg and last night Johnny’s hamstring tightened up, so we have to make sure they are right. Johnny will have to play again before the first Test.”

Murray will start at scrum-half, finding himself for the second time this season as the senior partner at half-back, just as he was when Declan Kidney gave Paddy Jackson his Test debut against Scotland.

And with Hogg at 10, wing Sean Maitland starts at full-back, having previously played there for the Crusaders in New Zealand.

There is a more familiar ring to other combinations, though, with Brian O’Driscoll, named captain for the second time on this tour, partnering his 2009 Lions inside centre Jamie Roberts.

England prop Corbisiero will also start in Newcastle with fellow new arrival Grant on a bench which features no fly-half cover, Gatland saying Leigh Halfpenny or Jon Davies may fill the breach should Hogg go down.