SCOTLAND forward Hamish Watson has been named among the fastest player on the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour so far.
The flanker, nicknamed Pinball, clocked at a powerful 20.2 miles per hour during a break against the Sharks, edging him past some of the other backs.
England speedster Anthony Watson misses out on the list due to very limited game time on the tour thus far.
The rest of the top five is made up by back-three players with a certain Welshman taking the top spot.
FASTEST LIONS PLAYERS:
#5. Hamish Watson (Scotland) - 20.2mph
The 29-year-old has gradually established himself as one of the northern hemisphere’s fiercest competitors since winning the first of 41 Test appearances against Italy at BT Murrayfield in 2015, and is now looking to make his mark in the famous red jersey.
#4. Duhan van de Merwe (Scotland) 20.8mph
The 6ft 4in back has made a major impact since arriving in Scotland in 2017, when he joined Guinness PRO14 side Edinburgh after stints in France at Montpellier and South Africa with the Blue Bulls. He qualified for Scotland through the residency rule and made his Test debut against Georgia in October 2020, where he scored a try in a 48-7 win.
#3. Josh Adams (Wales) 20.8mph
The 26-year-old has racked up 17 tries in 32 caps since making his Wales bow in 2018 and became the first Welshman to finish as the top try-scorer at a Rugby World Cup. He has been similarly lethal at club level, and while he was a late bloomer on the international stage, there is no question of the threat he poses when he gets hold of the ball.
#2. Stuart Hogg (Scotland) 20.9mph
After heading to Australia as the youngest player on Tour in 2013, he went to New Zealand four years later with his sights set on securing the Test full-back jersey after some stellar displays for Scotland.
#1. Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales) - 22mph
The 20-year-old flyer has been thrown in at the deep end for club and country and thrived on every occasion ahead of a Tour to take on the world champions.
