Former Scottish and British Lions prop Tom Smith has died following a long battle with cancer.
Loosehead prop Smith, 50, went down in folklore following his displays on the 1997 Lions tour in South Africa, having been selected off the back of just three caps for Scotland. He defied the odds to be picked ahead of England's Jason Leonard though, and started all three Test matches.
He proved pivotal as the Lions pack went toe to toe with the Boks, winning the series 2-1. Smith also formed a pivotal part of the touring squad that went to Australia four years later, and were edged out in the deciding Test in Sydney.
He went on to win 61 caps for his country, scoring six tries, and spent eight seasons at Northampton Saints. Smith's time at Franklin's Gardens included two Powergen Cup finals, a Heineken Cup semi-final and three Heineken Cup quarter-finals. After retiring in 2009, he had coaching spells with Edinburgh and Lyon.
Throughout his illness, Smith bravely helped raise awareness of his condition, and became an ambassador for the 40tude Curing Colon Cancer charity. Last November, he delivered the match ball for the Scotland v South Africa Autumn International, and did so to huge applause from the Murrayfield crowd.
Following the news Jim Telfer, who coached Smith with both Scotland and the Lions, paid tribute. "He was a rugby player first and a prop second,” Telfer said, via the official British Lions website.
"He was never compromised when he had the ball in his hands. He could move it quickly or take the player on or hold it up. His skill was the thing I remember with Tom.
"You could play a different kind of game when he was in the team. He could be a link player but was still a solid servant in the scrums and lineouts. He was always a very good scrummager – he was the ideal shape because he had the bulk as well."
Scotland head coach and former teammate Gregor Townsend added: "Tom was one of the toughest and most skilful players I had the pleasure to call a teammate.
"He succeeded in the most challenging of environments and kept up a high level of play well into his thirties. Tom also did a tremendous amount for charitable causes and was a great family man.
"I am convinced that he will be regarded as one of our best ever players and his loss will be felt by all those who played with him or watched him for club and country over the years."
