‘Ellis Genge surprises you – he's not a d---head'
Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan has revealed that the biggest revelation of the Lions tour thus far is discovering that England prop Ellis Genge is 'not a d---head'.
Both Sheehan and Genge are first-time Lions tourists having appeared on opposing sides several times during the Six Nations. The impression of Genge, who was the standout player in last Friday's 28-24 defeat by Argentina, has not always been favourable, but the beauty of Lions tours is the manner in which antagonists can become amigos.
Yet having previously viewed Genge as Ireland's main target as England's emotional tonesetter, Sheehan says that he was pleasantly surprised that the 30-year-old Bristol Bears loosehead is actually someone he is quite happy to have on his team. 'It's mad how fast you can go from despising people to hanging around to go for a coffee with them!' Sheehan said. 'It's probably just that rugby blokes are good blokes, you can turn on the hatred when you want it.
'I'm trying to think if I can find one for you – Genge would be a good one. He's obviously a passionate, animated player for England and someone who we, as Ireland, would consider as a talisman and someone, in an Irish jersey, we'd need to target.
'He's one person you enjoy having on the team. And he's a funny bloke off the pitch. I think everyone loves him. You can see the passion he brings to meetings to pitch straight and scrum. He's one person you enjoy having on your side now. He's very real and says it how it is. He's definitely someone that surprises you that he's not a d---head.'
Genge was among the players who featured in an extended video from the Lions' pre-tour training camp in Portugal, where he was seen giving extra scrummaging tips to one of the Portuguese opponents after the session had been completed.
After landing in Australia on Sunday ahead of their match against the Western Force on Saturday, the Lions have started exploring Perth but Sheehan says that the main social bonds were established before they took flight. 'Our team social after the admin day in Dublin broke the ice ... there's no awkward moments any more, you get past the small chat,' Sheehan said.
'You're going to get to understand people's stories and what's behind them. But that's been one of the most enjoyable parts of the last few weeks, just getting to know new people.
'We had a few drinks together during the admin day, which is probably the best way to do it. All the forced fun can be a bit tedious at times and sometimes you just need to break it down. A few beers, relax and let your hair down... that's where all the good stories came from.'
Burtley given shot at redemption
On Saturday, the Lions face the Western Force, which will provide a measure of redemption for Kurtley Beale. The Australian outside-back crucially slipped as he was lining up a penalty kick in the final minutes of the Lions' first Test victory over the Wallabies in 2013.
The Lions went on to win the series 2-1 but 36-year-old Beale says that he has never watched a replay of his infamous missed kick. 'I still haven't watched it properly,' Beale said. 'But you learn from that and put yourself in those positions week in, week out in training to try and correct some wrongs. It's just an ongoing process and I feel like I've done that now.
'That was a real disappointment in that game one, an embarrassing moment but plenty of learnings. From that day onwards, I've worn studs! It was a crucial moment in the series, wasn't it? I was just very thankful to have strong team-mates around me to pick me back up and get my focus into the next game. It's just going to be an amazing series. I've been sharing stories with a lot of the guys in the team here about just how big it's going to be and just making sure they enjoy it and embrace this week and the opportunity to play against some world class players.'
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We're talking to the star about a month before Glastonbury at the Devonshire, a relaxed, old-school boozer just off Picadilly Circus that's become the favoured haunt of everyone from Ed Sheeran to a bit too early for a drink, though, so Sir Rod orders up a venti coffee, shooing away an over-eager assistant who attempts to stir in his dressed in a cream jacket and black jeans, which sit above the ankle to show off his box-fresh, zebra-striped trainers. His white shirt is unbuttoned far enough to display a diamond-encrusted necklace with the crest of his beloved football club, then there's the hair. A bleached blonde vista of windswept spikes, so famous that it earned a whole chapter in the singer's Marriott of The Small Faces once claimed that Sir Rod achieved this gravity-defying barnet by rubbing mayonnaise into his scalp, then rubbing it with a says the musician, is utter "bollocks"."Nah, nah, nah. I used to use sugared hot water, before the days of hair lacquer. 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