Rugby morning headlines as two new Lions join squad and South Africa playing in Six Nations 'only a matter of time'

Here are the rugby headlines on Monday, June 21.

Two more Lions join up

Kyle Sinckler and Tom Curry have joined up with the British and Irish Lions squad in Jersey after Bristol Bears and Sale Sharks were knocked out at the semi-final stage of the Gallagher Premiership play-offs.

It means 28 players are now in camp, with Ireland's Ronan Kelleher also remaining with the squad for training, although he is not officially part of the squad.

Saracens' Lions contingent are yet to join the Lions after Sunday's Championship final win over Ealing secured their return to the top flight.

Jamie George, Elliot Daly, Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell and Mako Vunipola will join up with their new teammates shortly.

Warburton warning for Lions players

Sam Warburton says Warren Gatland will already have a Lions starting XV pencilled in for the Test series, but that could yet all change.

The Lions play six matches before the first Test on July 24, starting with Saturday's warm-up against Japan.

And former skipper Warburton says players can't afford to play poorly in any of them.

Warburton told the BBC : "If somebody has been in red-hot form and seems a shoo-in and has two opportunities to start on the tour and is terrible in both games, he is not starting the Test match," said Warburton.

"The coaches would have done an exercise where they know what their starting XV would be if it was tomorrow, but that will be up for negotiation and change.

"Players will be able to play themselves into the Test team based on the warm-ups and how they train.

"There will be people who would have been in the coaches' mind as a Test starter and, in a couple of weeks behind closed doors, they've maybe realised they are not.

"So the impression players can make in the six games before the Tests is important."

McGeechan wants Watson over Tipuric

Former Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan hopes Warren Gatland opts for Hamish Watson ahead of Justin Tipuric for next weekend's warm-up match against Japan in Edinburgh.

The number seven jersey is set to be one of the most-hotly contested places in the team throughout the tour, with Watson and Tipuric up against England's Tom Curry, who is yet to join the squad due to club commitments with Sale Sharks.

McGeechan wrote in his Telegraph column : "It would be good to see Hamish Watson play in front of his home fans.

"One of the big lessons I learned as a Lions coach was to blood new Lions as early as possible. This would be another good reason to pick Watson at openside rather than, say, Justin Tipuric, who already has plenty of Lions experience. But primarily you are thinking about the game needed to beat South Africa.

"Gats might go with a fourth line-out jumper on the blindside, for instance – Tadhg Beirne or Courtney Lawes – as I am sure he will be thinking along those lines for South Africa."

New competition paves way for South Africa to join Six Nations

Outspoken pundit Stuart Barnes claims the formation of the United Rugby Championship is merely the first step in getting South Africa to join the Six Nations tournament.

The new competition launched last week, with the Bulls, Stormers, Lions and Sharks joining the four Welsh regions, four Irish provinces, two Scottish and two Italian sides from next season.

Barnes doesn't believe the new competition will capture the imagination, but he does believe South Africa joining the Six Nations is now seemingly inevitable.

Writing in the Sunday Times, he said: "The Pro 14 falls short of its French and English rivals because it lacks the constant clamour of regional and local rivalry. By admitting the South African quartet of heavyweights it has dispersed that most atmospheric of assets further.

"One South African team, at least, will qualify for the European Champions Cup. Names, nationalities, they don’t seem to matter in rugby’s growing global world.

"The decision makers, meanwhile, have their sights set higher. With South Africa in Europe at club level, it is only a matter of time before they find their way into the Six/Seven who knows how many Nations.

"That’s where the money is — for the beleaguered South Africans, the game in general and the profit for the businessmen who market sport like any other product available from Amazon.

"This isn’t the beginning of a new Super Tournament so much as the first stage in the move to make Test rugby the only game that counts. The rest is broadcast small fry."

Saracens back in Premiership

Saracens celebrated their return to the Gallagher Premiership after Ealing were condemned to another heavy defeat.

The second leg of the Greene King IPA Championship final at StoneX Stadium saw Saracens emerge 57-15 winners, their aggregate score of 117-15 sending them back into the English top flight at a stampede.

It marked the end of a troubled period after the north London club were relegated for repeated salary cap breaches.

"It feels good. It's been a long 18-20 months and we've looked forward to this day. Now that it's happened it's great," director of rugby Mark McCall said.

"It's good to get the job done. We were in crisis mode around November 2019 and anything could have happened to the club.

"But the unity and togetherness helped get us through. We get back into the Premiership with many of the same players who have stuck by us and showed faith in the club.

"The players have relished the challenge of getting the club back up. I've been especially thrilled with the way the international guys have performed and shown real commitment and desire to carry on with Sarries."

Saracens' five-strong British and Irish Lions contingent made telling contributions as Ealing were put to the sword, Mako Vunipola, Elliot Daly and Jamie George all running in tries.

The club will be expected to launch an immediate challenge for the Premiership title.

Marler's chopper arrival for big game

Joe Marler was dramatically helicoptered in on the morning of Harlequins' astonishing Premiership semi-final win over Bristol after the birth of his fourth child.

The BBC report the baby was born on Thursday and the club wanted to make sure the 30-year-old could spend as much time with his wife and children as possible

While the rest of the squad travelled to Bristol on Friday, a helicopter was arranged to land at Tonbridge School near his home in Kent and fly to North Bristol Rugby Club on Saturday morning.

Marler started as Harlequins came back from 28-0 down to beat Bristol Bears 43-36. He returned home in the same helicopter immediately after the match.