Jamie Osborne on Lions call: 'I was in a taxi. We were actually all going to a barber'

Jamie Osborne was with fellow Irish team-mates Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Cian Prendergast and Darragh Murray when Andy Farrell rang to call him up to the Lions Tour.

LIONS DEBUT. From Portugal to Australia Jamie Osborne will make his Lions debut this morning. Pic:©INPHO/Billy Stickland

It was only 12 days ago that Jamie Osborne was sharing a cab with his Ireland team-mates on a trip to Lisbon barbers when his mobile started buzzing. On Tuesday the centre with eight international caps will pull on the famous red jersey and become a British & Irish Lion, lining up in midfield alongside Owen Farrell and kicking off against the First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium.

The phone call that changed the 24-year-old’s rugby life was from Andy Farrell and it came in the company of Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Darragh Murray and Cian Prendergast. Full-back Blair Kinghorn’s knee injury against the Brumbies meant the versatile back was required in Australia and now the pair will line up together in the same backline.