RorySutherland

Rory Sutherland was selected for his first British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa in 2021, a rich reward for returning to his best after a long-term injury.

Sutherland made his Scotland debut against Ireland in the 2016 Six Nations, but a serious abductor muscle injury ruled him out for 14 months and any chance of forcing his way into the 2017 Lions squad.

Sutherland’s return to form was gradual and he did not get back into the Scotland squad until the 2020 Six Nations, four years on from his last cap.

However, since then he has been one of the Championship’s leading loosehead props and is a mainstay of Scotland’s pack.

Sutherland’s impact has been massive, helping Scotland to power their way past Wales in the 2020 Championship, while he also featured in famous away wins at England and France in 2021.

Before his 2016 injury, Sutherland’s career had been on a steep upwards trajectory. A back-rower at age-group level before making the switch to loosehead, Sutherland was an unheralded prospect when Edinburgh handed him a contract in 2015.

From there though, he progressed to the Scotland squad within 12 months and after a long delay due to injury, he is back on that trajectory.

He was one of the stars of the 2021 Six Nations, putting in a series of performances that rocketed him from potential surprise inclusion to the first-choice prop in the eyes of many.

He didn’t disappoint on Tour, making six appearances including a start in the opening Test and a substitute appearance in the second.