The epitome of Scottish stoicism and one of the finest props of his generation, Sandy Carmichael passed away on Wednesday night aged 77. 

Carmichael was part of the successful Lions to New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974 as well as making 50 Test appearances for Scotland in an era where caps were far harder to accrue. He was also a member of the the Barbarians’ famous victory against New Zealand in Cardiff in 1973, which can be regarded as a degree of karma for the events of two years earlier when Carmichael seemed destined to start for the Lions against the All Blacks.

That was until a shameful provincial match against Canterbury, widely accepted as the dirtiest match in Lions history. Carmichael was punched repeatedly in the face at the scrum and in one instance kicked in the head at a ruck. He was left with multiple cheek fractures. The subsequent photograph of his facial scars is one of rugby’s most iconic if grizzly images.