Scot Stuart Hogg will miss the rest of the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand due to a cheek injury. The fullback will return home for treatment on a “facial bone fracture”.

Scot ‘absolutely devastated’ after facial bone fracture ends his Lions stint

HIGHLANDERS 23 BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS 22

Stuart Hogg was warned that he risked losing his sight if he absorbed a further blow to his cheek injury.

Scotland full-back Hogg will miss the rest of the British and Irish Lions tour after sustaining a “facial bone fracture” during Saturday’s 12-3 win over the Crusaders.

Hogg collided unwittingly with Conor Murray’s elbow as the Ireland scrum-half sought to let the Glasgow star launch a counter-attack in the first half of the Crusaders clash.

The Lions, who lost 22-23 against the Highlanders in Dunedin yesterday, hope a replacement will not be needed, but head coach Warren Gatland admitted they canvassed four specialists before ruling Hogg out of the rest of the New Zealand tour.

“It was just a freak accident,” Gatland told Sky Sports ahead of the Highlanders clash. “He’s absolutely gutted. We’re feeling for him.

“We saw about four different specialists: one of them said he’d be alright and another said it’s potentially serious and that he could lose his sight if he plays. We told him it was only a game of rugby and he understood that.”

Hogg revealed that he cried upon hearing the news that he must return home.

“I am absolutely devastated to be leaving the Lions,” Hogg said.

“It means everything to me to be part of this tour and when, on Monday night, I first got the news that I had suffered a facial fracture and had to come home, I cried.

“I have done several times since then, too. It is tough, really tough, to take. As much as I love being at home, I do not believe I am ready to go.

“It still has not quite sunk in yet that I am going. I feel my game has been getting better and better in New Zealand and was a lot more confident going into the second game against the Crusaders.”

Meanwhile one big scrummage toppled the Lions for the second time in New Zealand, as the Highlanders came out on top in yesterday’s clash.

Scot Tommy Seymour, Jonathan Joseph and captain Sam Warburton all ran in tries for the often-threatening Lions, but the tourists were undone late on at the coal face.

The Highlanders blasted the Lions off the ball, and Marty Banks slotted the 74th-minute penalty that wrestled the one-point lead – and eventually the result.

The Crusaders made the scrum a big talking point after the Lions defeated them 12-3 on Saturday, insisting the tourists struggled at the set-piece.

And in Dunedin referee Angus Gardner certainly felt the hosts had the upper hand in the decisive skirmish.

Replacement Owen Farrell missed a routine shot at goal and Elliot Daly failed with a long-range effort, as the Highlanders joined the Blues in scalping the Lions.

Warburton afterwards blamed indiscipline for the defeat.

He said: “You have to give the Highlanders credit because they forced the pressure to give away penalties, but we have to keep penalties to single fingers.”

Picture: Getty. Scot Tommy Seymour touches down for the Lions in their defeat against Highlanders in Dunedin.

Stuart Hogg is ‘devastated’ by the news he is leaving the Lions.