HAMISH WATSON has been forced to drop out of the Lions team for Saturday’s pre-tour clash against Japan at Murrayfield after suffering a concussion during training on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old flanker – who was voted player-of-the-championship at the end of last season’s Six Nations – was one of four Scots named by Warren Gatland in the starting XV for the game against the ‘Brave Blossoms’ but has now been replaced by Welshman Justin Tipuric.
With only five further matches being played before the Test series begins against the world champion Springboks at the end of next month, every opportunity to make an impression will count, and Watson faces ferocious competition for the No7 jersey against Tipuric and Englishman Tom Curry.
Timescales for the return to action following a concussion are notoriously unpredictable, and yesterday’s press release from the Lions stated only that Watson "will begin the graduated return-to-play protocol".
Revised British & Irish Lions team to face Japan at Murrayfield on Saturday (kick-off: 3pm): L Williams; J Adams, R Henshaw, B Aki, D van der Merwe; D Biggar, C Murray; R Sutherland, K Owens, Z Fagerson, I Henderson, AW Jones, T Beirne, J Tipuric, J Conan.
Replacements: J George, W Jones, T Furlong, C Lawes, T Faletau, A Price, O Farrell, A Watson.
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