Earls a doubt for Lions

Keith Earls looked set to be ruled out of contention for the British & Irish Lions' second tour game on Wednesday.

Ireland centre Earls suffered shoulder joint trouble during the unconvincing 37-25 victory over a Royal XV in Rustenburg on Saturday.

Lions' team doctor James Robson expects Earls to be out of commission for two or three days. The Lions' next match is against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg.

Earls, who had a poor game at the Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace, was the most notable casualty on a lengthy list that Robson described on Sunday as "just bumps and bruises".

Other players to be in the wars were scrum-half Mike Blair, who rolled his ankle, centre Ricky Flutey, who will miss training on Sunday because of a slight strain, while skipper Paul O'Connell required anaesthetic drops to an eye abrasion.

Elsewhere, fly-half Ronan O'Gara took a bang on his shoulder, Mike Phillips is progressing well from a dead leg and prop Andrew Sheridan has blisters on his feet.

Robson, meanwhile, delivered an upbeat assessment of two players who missed the Royal XV encounter through injury.

Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris is now fit after suffering a leg muscle strain getting off the team bus last week.

Robson said: "It was a bizarre injury, and an early contender for bizarre injury of the tour."

And Wales number eight Andy Powell is back in training doing weights after picking up a hand injury that denied him a starting place.