British and Irish Lions

The 27-year-old Sale Sharks star was omitted from Warren Gatland's original 28-strong squad for the championship when it was announced last week.elsh RBS 6 Nations
But an injury to Gloucester's Gareth Cooper in training today has re-opened the door for the 64-times capped Peel. He is due to report for training at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel on Tuesday morning. Wales kick-ff the defence of their Grand Slam title against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday, 8 February, and Gatland was goigng to go into that game with Cooper and the fit-again Mike Phillips as his two scrum-half options. But Cooper picked up a knee injury in training today and is currently undergoing assessment and treatment.
Peel was the Lions' first-choice scrum half in New Zealand four years ago after guiding Wales to their Grand Slam in 2005. When he was left out of the original Welsh squad it looked as though hsi hopes of making a second Lions tour this summer may have been severely dented.
But now he has been thrown a lifeline and he will at least be invovled with the squad as they build towards next weekend's tough opener at Murrayfield.

Assistant coach Graham Rowntree says The British & Irish Lions will have to be fully focussed to avoid a potential banana skin when they face The Barbarians a week today.

Three former British & Irish Lions will line-up against an England XV at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday as the Barbarians warm-up for their showdown with the 2013 tourists in Hong Kong next week.

Lions skipper Sam Warburton says the lessons he and his Welsh colleagues learnt in Australia last summer will stand them in good stead for their return visit with Britain and Ireland's elite next month.