Mike Blair

Called into the touring as a replacement for the unfortunate Tomas O'Leary, whose Lions hopes were shattered after suffering a broken ankle while on Magners League duty with Munster just days after the squad was announced.

The Scotland captain, one of just three Scots in the squad, was a surprise omission from the original selection after being touted as a potential Lions captain last November.

The Scottish captain went to South Africa with hopes of making the Lions Test team but sunk without trace in the pecking order behind outstanding scrumhalf Mike Phillips and Harry Ellis. Three times unused off the bench.