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Double joy for Leicester Tigers' Geoff Parling

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Geoff Parling admits he has experienced "a quite surreal" few days following the birth of his daughter and then being named British & Irish Lions captain.

Leicester Tigers lock Parling will lead the tourists against the Melbourne Rebels tomorrow.

And he could now also make the Lions second Test team in Melbourne on Saturday after it was confirmed that Paul O'Connell is being "treated and assessed" for an arm injury.

Wife Elle and baby girl May Rose are both doing well following the birth last Thursday, and Parling said: "I've got some making up to do when I get back, to be fair.

"I followed (May Rose's birth) on Face Time and Skype. What an invention. Just beforehand she was in the room ready and the midwife came in and I said 'please just put me in the corner, I will just watch and be quiet' and the midwife actually turned off!

"I was pacing around the room for about an hour, quite nervous to be honest, because you never know how it is going to go.

"Then I got Face Timed again and I heard someone laughing, so as soon as I heard that I knew everything was fine."

The possibility of Parling going home for the birth was discussed.

"We did think about it, but these sort of opportunities don't come around very often," he said. "Mind you, neither does having a kid.

"Thankfully, my wife is very understanding. She has got her aunty and uncle looking after her and some neighbours, who are good as well.

"There is a little bit of guilt there, but I am just very relieved she is fit and healthy."

Parling can now look forward to captaining the Lions tomorrow.

He said: "It's been quite surreal over the last few days. It's a great honour to captain the Lions, and I am looking forward to getting some more game time. "

Also named in tomorrow's XV are Tigers team-mates Manu Tuilagi and Dan Cole, while Ben Youngs is among the replacements.

Head coach Warren Gatland has revealed that Tuilagi will be fit for the second Test this weekend, having recovered from a stinger to a shoulder.

Lions: R Kearney (Ireland); S Maitland (Scotland), M Tuilagi (England), B Barritt (England), S Zebo (Ireland); O Farrell (England), C Murray (Ireland); R Grant (Scotland), R Hibbard (Wales), D Cole (England), R Gray (Scotland), G Parling (England, capt), D Lydiate (Wales), S O'Brien (Ireland) T Faletau (Wales).

Rep: R Best (Ireland), T Court (Ireland), M Stevens (England), I Evans (Wales), J Tipuric (Wales), B Youngs (England), B Twelvetrees (England), S Hogg (Scotland).

Double joy for Leicester Tigers' Geoff Parling


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