Blair Kinghorn Adjusts to Life with the British & Irish Lions
The past few days have been a whirlwind for Blair Kinghorn. Just hours before his arrival in Australia, he was celebrating Toulouse’s Top 14 championship victory in Paris, even conducting interviews in nothing more than swim shorts. Now, wearing Lions training gear, he’s adjusting to the bright Australian sun and preparing for the challenges ahead.
The Scottish full-back, the last of the original squad members to join, will miss the midweek game against the Reds but is expected to feature against the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday. With strong performances, he could push for a Test spot—though even for a player of his caliber, catching up quickly will require intense effort.
His adaptability has already been tested. Arriving at the team hotel close to midnight, he assumed his assigned room would be empty. “I thought, ‘Surely no one’s there,’ so I walked in and dropped my bags,” he recalled. The surprise was mutual when Lions captain Maro Itoje abruptly sat up in the adjacent bed. “I froze, apologized—he’d been asleep,” Kinghorn said. “He woke up, shook my hand, and just went back to sleep.” It was an unusual welcome, to say the least.
Once he overcomes the jet lag, Kinghorn’s recent experiences could prove vital for the Lions. His move from Edinburgh to Toulouse has sharpened his game, and he now brings a winning mentality ahead of the Test series against Australia.
Training alongside world-class players like Antoine Dupont has prepared him for high-pressure expectations. “At Toulouse, the standard is relentless,” he said. “You have to perform—it pushes you.” He expects a similar intensity with the Lions. “Everyone’s here to win. Training will be competitive, and that’s how you improve.”
Versatile enough to cover full-back, wing, or even fly-half, Kinghorn offers flexibility for selection. But he knows time is limited to prove himself. “These next few days are crucial,” he admitted. “I’ll absorb everything I can and try to make an impact when it counts.”
Kinghorn shares a similar situation with Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan, and James—arriving late but determined to contribute. With the squad’s depth and his adaptability, he remains optimistic about making his mark.
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