article: The effervescent flanker has shone in an Edinburgh side swamped by malaise. And Watson proved one of the stars of Scotland's best Six Nations since 2006. "If you're a score down in a Test with 15 minutes to go and need to inject something different, a player like him might work for you," Smith said. "Someone a bit more dynamic, with a huge work-rate, hugely athletic and fast, and could probably play in most positions in the backs and make a reasonable fist of it. "He doesn't fit the mould of a standard back-row. He's not physically massive, but he punches above his weight. "Every time he gets the ball, he does something interesting and he's very good over the ball. "It probably goes to your philosophy when you play New Zealand - how are you going to play? Are you going to play all-out attack or are you going to try and stop them from scoring tries? "Defence is obviously going to be important, but I think we're going to have focus on scoring tries, which I think would probably work in Hamish's favour." Former prop Smith, 45, toured with the storied Lions of 1997, starting all three Tests as the visitors overcame then world champions South Africa. He repeated that feat four years later, cementing his status as the first-choice loose-head when Graham Henry's Lions were beaten 2-1 by Australia. Not since Smith in 2001 has Scotland contributed a starting Test Lion and no more than three Scots have been selected for the initial touring party in two decades. Head coach Warren Gatland will name his squad on Wednesday. "If we got five, I'd be pretty happy," Smith told BBC Scotland. "I think Stuart Hogg's a certainty, he's pencilled in by a lot of people to start the Tests and I think, if he keeps playing the way he has been, there's a good chance that will happen. "I think Jonny Gray is the sort of player that will develop and really come on in a tour and environment like that. "Unfortunately, second-row is such a competitive area this year, but I'd certainly have my fingers crossed for him, brother Richie, or both. "Tommy Seymour's a really good player who week in, week out delivers high-quality performances. "Finn Russell, again, it's a really, really tough position, but you just hope he might squeeze on and be given the chance to show what he's got. "Our back-three is as good as any in the championship with Hogg, Seymour and Sean Maitland, who has worked with Gatland before - there's a mutual respect there and he's playing for one of the top sides in Europe, which I think will help him." Scotland earned home victories over Ireland, Wales and Italy in this year's Six Nations - the first time they have won three championship fixtures in 11 years. Although Vern Cotter's side were dealt a shellacking by England, Smith, who won 61 international caps, hopes their performances this season can swell the Scottish contingent in Gatland's squad. "Sometimes it doesn't add up,"
summary: Tom Smith, the last Scot to start a British and Irish Lions Test, believes Hamish Watson could provide key and unique attributes on this year's tour of New Zealand.