Scrumhalf Tomos Williams out of British and Irish Lions tour with a hamstring injury

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Tomos Williams has been ruled out of the British and Irish Lions rugby tour of Australia after injuring his left hamstring in the opening win over Western Force in Perth on the weekend.

Lions management confirmed Monday while announcing the squad to play Queensland that the Welsh scrumhalf had sustained a tour-ending injury and Toulon, France-based Scotland scrumhalf Ben White had been drafted into the squad.

“This is desperately sad news for Tomos and we wish him all the very best in his recovery," Lions tour manager Ieuan Evans said. "Tomos is an exemplary Lion who has had a brilliant season having joined the tour after being named as Premiership Rugby’s player-of-the-season.

“He lit up this Lions Tour with both his personality and his talent.”

Williams scored two tries in the 54-7 win over the Perth-based Force, limping off after finishing off a long-range try early in the second half.

The Lions are playing nine matches in Australia, including three test matches on July 19, 26 and Aug. 2.

Head coach Andy Farrell recalled tour captain Maro Itoje to lead the Lions on Wednesday night against Queensland in Brisbane, and he’ll pack down in the second row with fellow Englishman Ollie Chessum.

The matchday 23 has been overhauled again to give the full squad a chance to acclimatize.

Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell was retained at No. 10 in a new halves combination with Ireland scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, who will make his Lions debut.

Bundee Aki and Glasgow and Huw Jones will form a new center combination.

Leinster and Ireland teammates Andrew Porter and Ronan Kelleher will join Bath tighthead Will Stuart in the front row. Ireland No. 8 Jack Conan will start in a bakrow that also contains Tom Curry and Jac Morgan.

“We know each game on this your will be a step up from the game before and three more players are set to make their Lions debuts on Wednesday night, so congratulations to those guys," Lions head coach Andy Farrell said.

The Lions beat Queensland 22-12 in the corresponding tour game in 2013 before going on to win the test series 2-1 against Australia.

Queensland coach Les Kiss, an assistant coach at Ireland from 2008-15, unveiled a squad containing nine players with Wallabies experience and two former New Zealand All Blacks props to take on the Lions.

Fullback Jock Campbell will lead the Reds, anchoring a backline that will feature Hunter Paisami and Josh Flook in midfield.

Hooker Matt Faessler returns to pack in between Aidan Ross, who recently signed from the Hamilton-based Chiefs, and Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen. Both props played against the Lions for their Super Rugby teams in New Zealand in 2017. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, a 41-test lock, and flanker Seru Uru give additional strength to the Queensland forwards.

“It’s a one-off match but we’ve had a line of sight with their games against Argentina and the Western Force," Kiss said.

Squads:

British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Tommy Freeman (England), Huw Jones (Scotland), Bundee Aki (Ireland), Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), Finn Russell (Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); Jack Conan (Ireland), Jac Morgan (Wales), Tom Curry (England), Ollie Chessum (England), Maro Itoje England, captain), Will Stuart (England), Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Andrew Porter (Ireland). Reserves: Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Ellis Genge (England), Finlay Bealham (Ireland), James Ryan (Ireland), Ben Earl (England), Alex Mitchell (England), Fin Smith (England), Garry Ringrose (Ireland).

Queensland Reds: Jock Campbell (captain), Lachie Anderson, Josh Flook, Hunter Paisami, Tim Ryan, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Kalani Thomas; Joe Brial, John Bryant, Seru Uru, Lakhan Salakaia-Loto, Josh Canham, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Matt Faessler, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Josh Nasser, George Blake, Sef Fa'agase, Ryan Smith, Angus Blyth, Connor Vest, Louis Werchon, Isaac Henry.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Tomos Williams of the British & Irish Lions is assisted from the field during their rugby match against the Western Force in Perth, Australia, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)

Tadhg Beirne of the British & Irish Lions gestures to teammate Tomos Williams, left, after he's scored a try during their rugby match against the Western Force in Perth, Australia, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)

Tomos Williams of the British & Irish Lions is airborne as he scores a try as Western Forces' Mac Grealy watches during their rugby match against the Western Force in Perth, Australia, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)

Tomos Williams of the British & Irish Lions is attended to by a trainer as he grabs at his hamstring after scoring a try during their rugby match against the Western Force in Perth, Australia, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ahn Sung-ki, one of South Korean cinema’s biggest stars whose prolific 60-year career and positive, gentle public image earned him the nickname “The Nation’s Actor,” died Monday. He was 74.

Ahn, who had suffered blood cancer for years, was pronounced dead at Seoul's Soonchunhyang University Hospital, his agency, the Artist Company, and hospital officials said.

“We feel deep sorrow at the sudden, sad news, pray for the eternal rest of the deceased and offer our heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family members," the Artist Company said in a statement.

President Lee Jae Myung issued a condolence message saying Ahn provided many people with comfort, joy and time for reflection. “I already miss his warm smile and gentle voice,” Lee wrote on Facebook.

Born to a filmmaker in the southeastern city of Daegu in 1952, Ahn made his debut as a child actor in the movie “The Twilight Train” in 1957. He subsequently appeared in about 70 movies as a child actor before he left the film industry to live an ordinary life.

In 1970, Ahn entered Seoul’s Hankuk University of Foreign Studies as a Vietnamese major. Ahn said he graduated with top honors but failed to land jobs at big companies, who likely saw his Vietnamese major largely useless after a communist victory in the Vietnam War in 1975.

Ahn returned to the film industry in 1977 believing he could still excel in acting. In 1980, he rose to fame for his lead role in Lee Jang-ho’s “Good, Windy Days,” a hit coming-of-age movie about the struggle of working-class men from rural areas during the country’s rapid rise. Ahn won the best new actor award in the prestigious Grand Bell Awards, the Korean version of the Academy Awards.

He later starred in a series of highly successful and critically acclaimed movies, sweeping best actor awards and becoming arguably the country’s most popular actor in much of the 1980-90s.

Some of his memorable roles included a Buddhist monk in 1981’s “Mandara,” a beggar in 1984’s “Whale Hunting,” a Vietnam War veteran-turned-novelist in 1992’s “White Badge,” a corrupt police officer in 1993’s “Two Cops,” a murderer in 1999’s “No Where To Hide,” a special forces trainer in 2003’s “Silmido” and a devoted celebrity manager in 2006’s “Radio Star.”

Ahn had collected dozens of trophies in major movie awards in South Korea, including winning the Grand Bell Awards for best actor five times, an achievement no other South Korean actors have matched yet.

Ahn built up an image as a humble, trustworthy and family-oriented celebrity who avoided major scandals and maintained a quiet, stable personal life. Past public surveys chose Ahn as South Korea’s most beloved actor and deserving of the nickname “The Nation’s Actor.”

Ahn said he earlier felt confined with his “The Nation's Actor” labeling but eventually thought that led him down the right path. In recent years, local media has given other stars similar honorable nicknames, but Ahn was apparently the first South Korean actor who was dubbed “The Nation's Actor.”

“I felt I should do something that could match that title. But I think that has eventually guided me on a good direction,” Ahn said in an interview with Yonhap news agency in 2023.

In media interviews, Ahn couldn’t choose what his favorite movie was, but said that his role as a dedicated, hardworking manger for a washed-up rock singer played by Park Jung-hoon resembled himself in real life the most.

Ahn was also known for his reluctance to do love scenes. He said said he was too shy to act romantic scenes and sometimes asked directors to skip steamy scenes if they were only meant to add spice to movies.

“I don’t do well on acting like looking at someone who I don’t love with loving eyes and kissing really romantically. I feel shy and can’t express such emotions well,” Ahn said in an interview with the Shindonga magazine in 2007. “Simply, I’m clumsy on that. So I couldn’t star in such movies a lot. But ultimately, that was a right choice for me.”

Ahn is survived by his wife and their two sons. A mourning station at a Seoul hospital was to run until Friday.

FILE - South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki smiles for a photo on the red carpet at the 56th Daejong Film Awards ceremony in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

FILE - South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki attends an event as part of the 11th Pusan International Film Festival in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 13, 2006. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)