British & Irish Lions full-back Stuart Hogg will miss the rest of the 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.
“I am absolutely devastated to be leaving the Lions,” Hogg told the Telegraph.
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“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.
.@StuartWHOGG_ ruled out of the rest of #LionsNZ2017 due to injury. Wishing him all the best in recovery.
More: https://t.co/33DQrx15MV pic.twitter.com/toOJWPQeJK
— British&Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 13, 2017
“I had been prepared for the worst when I sat down with Eanna Falvey, the Lions doctor, and Bob Stewart, the physio, and they explained the results of the scan and various opinions from the specialists. Yet it still hit me incredibly hard.
“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.”
“The advice, though, was that I could risk my sight if I received another bang.
“My eye socket is fractured and the medical advice was unanimous. We got three opinions from specialists and they all said I should not play on.
“I am not going to argue with them. I have to look at the long-term. My sight is a hell of a lot more important than rugby.”
Read more from Hogg at the TELEGRAPH