Robinson blow for Lions

Jason Robinson, the winger who switched codes and burst on to the union scene last year, joined the list of Lions' casualties yesterday when he twisted his ankle during training in Perth.

Sale's 26-year-old flier, employed by England manager Clive Woodward as a substitute in the Six Nations Championship, was among a group of players who sat out the afternoon session as preparations continued for Friday's opener against Western Australia.

Lions' coach Graham Henry announces the line-up in Perth tomorrow morning, hoping that as many of his 37-man squad as possible can feature, either this week or against the Queensland President's XV in Townsville on June 12.

Prop David Young (calf) and flanker Martyn Williams (ankle) were unable to train yesterday while Mike Catt (back), Jonny Wilkinson (groin) and Neil Jenkins (cut eye) avoided contact work.

However, England full back Iain Balshaw has resumed full training after suffering a worrying shoulder injury during the Premiership play-off final between Bath and Leicester last month.

Olly Barkley, the 19-year-old Bath fly half, has won an England call-up before he has even played a senior game at club level.

Barkley, who has not played at all for almost a month, is in Woodward's starting line-up for today's game with British Columbia in Vancouver.

Frustrated at his lack of first-team chances at Bath, Barkley travelled to New Zealand in the autumn and had been playing for the Marist club in Christchurch when he was picked for England's tour of North America.

He said: 'Bath weren't too happy when I went to New Zealand but they were understanding and helped me out a lot.'

Barkley, a good enough soccer player to have a trial with Arsenal, could now even figure in Woodward's Test plans.

Inevitably he has been compared with Wilkinson, the England fly half currently on Lions' duty, and Woodward said: 'We threw Jonny in at the deep end and I have no qualms about what we are asking Olly to do.'

Barkley will partner Leeds' Scott Benton at half back, with another Headingley man, lock Tom Palmer, also included despite not having played a Premiership game.

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