Morris will be dancing if Stevens falls short

England prop Matt Stevens.

Leicester and Wales prop Darren Morris could be the first replacement for the Lions if Matt Stevens' knee injury does not heal quickly enough for the England prop to tour.

Stevens is battling medial knee ligament damage - usually a long-term injury - and was a key member of the Lions front row with his ability to play either side of the scrum. While it is unlikely he would have started as a test contender, Stevens' versatility and damaging runs with ball in hand made him a decidedly useful asset for the Lions.

However, there are reports surfacing out of Britain that the burly Morris, 30, has been placed on stand-by to replace Stevens if the Bath man can't make the tour. Like Stevens, Morris is equally comfortable on both sides of the scrum, although he is less of a threat as a running forward.

Morris last played for Wales in 2004 as a replacement in the defeat by South Africa but has been consistently overlooked by coach Mike Ruddock since then. He does, however, fulfil Sir Clive Woodward's requirements of experience as he was a 2001 Lion in Australia, coming on to replace Scotland's Tom Smith in the third test.

Woodward had better news on two more of his injured soldiers this week - prop Graham Rowntree and key flanker Lewis Moody have recovered sufficiently from knee injuries they suffered during last month's Heineken Cup semifinal defeat by Toulouse to be included in the selectorial mix for Leicester this week - although most likely on the bench.

"Both Graham and Lewis will have fitness tests before the weekend, and if they come through, I hope they will play some part," said John Wells, the Leicester coach. , "They've done contact work but haven't played a full part in training. I couldn't put them in the starting line-up but there's a possibility they'll be on the bench."

This must have been music to Woodward's ears. In the aftermath of the Toulouse misadventure, there was considerable concern over Moody's chances of making the Lions tour, and an even darker cloud hanging over Rowntree's immediate future. Rowntree is likely to be a key figure among a front-row contingent that has more style than substance about it.

Happily, Rowntree sounded every bit as optimistic as Wells, if not more so. "I'm delighted with my progress," he said. "I'm almost there."

- Additional reporting Independent