Blair Kinghorn links up with Lions – and wakes up captain Maro Itoje

Blair Kinghorn has revealed his first act upon arrival into the British and Irish Lions camp in Australia was to wake up captain Maro Itoje.

Two days after helping Toulouse clinch a third successive Top 14 title by beating Bordeaux in extra-time at the Stade de France, Kinghorn joined up with his new team-mates for the first time.

And the Scotland full-back was given a shock when he entered his bedroom at the Lions’ Brisbane hotel on Monday night.

“I was with Maro. I got in about quarter to 12. I was thinking, ‘Surely there won’t be anyone in the room’,” he said.

“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.”

Kinghorn played 100 minutes of the Top 14 final and celebrated deep into the night before heading to the airport at midday to catch his flight from Paris to Brisbane.

“My bag was packed. I had to make sure everything was ready before going up from Toulouse to Paris on the Thursday,” said Kinghorn, who recently returned from eight weeks out with a knee injury.

“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.

One down, eight to go!