British and Irish Lions star owns up to bedroom blunder after arriving late to camp

Blair Kinghorn got off the wrong foot when he arrived on the Lions tour by disrupting skipper Maro Itoje’s beauty sleep in Brisbane.

The Scotland full-back joined up with party late because was playing in Toulouse’s epic 39-33 extra-time Top 14 final win over Bordeaux-Begles in Paris on Saturday night.

Kinghorn partied all night with his teammates and families, then jumped on a midday flight to Dubai on Sunday, stopping there before flying on to Queensland.

The new arrival got into Brisbane just before midnight and thought he had a single room as he blundered through the door only to find captain Itoje trying to sleep in bed.

Kinghorn explained: “I got in about quarter to 12. I was thinking 'surely there won't be anyone in the room'. I go in, chuck the bags down and up he pops. I was like 'uh, sorry'. He'd been sleeping and I woke him up. It was funny, he woke up, shook my hand and went straight back to sleep. I went straight from Paris because we went from Toulouse for the final on Thursday, so I had to make sure all my stuff was ready.

“Luckily my mum and my wife were there to help me take everything up because packing for two separate things is a bit stressful. I think I've got everything. All you need is your boots and your passport, so that's fine.

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“It's good to finally be here and it feels a bit more real for me now. I'm actually here, I've got all the kit, I'm with the boys, it feels great.”

Kinghorn might have been an unwelcome disturbance for Itoje but he is aiming to be a big noise on tour now he has finally arrived down under. The Scotsman’s career has taken off since a mid-season switch to Toulouse from Edinburgh in December 2023 and he has won two Top 14 titles and a Champions Cup since the move.

At Toulouse he rubs shoulders with French superstars like Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Romain Ntamack and Thibaud Flament.

So, joining up with the best of British with the Lions is not hard for the 28-year-old who is used to training with the top players in the game. And he insists a two-month lay-off with a knee injury this season will work in his favour now he is on tour having peaked for the French final last weekend.

He added: “I was injured for eight weeks so this is fine. Getting injured is never good. You’re sitting on the sidelines, not really involved in the rugby stuff but it is kind of refreshing for the brain. If you are not motivated to be here, then you shouldn’t be here. It is not tough at all.

“Everyone's here to do their best and to win the Test series. Every training session is going to be competitive. Everyone's motivated and that brings the best out of people. At Toulouse, the squad is so deep and so talented that you've got to be on top of your game. It is high pressure.”