Dan Sheehan has revealed to Sky Sports players he previously “despised” are now his British and Irish Lions team-mates, admitting his view on them has since changed.
The 26-year-old Ireland hooker gave insight to the unique nature of Lions tours where foes become team-mates, and often close ones at that.
Andy Farrell’s Lions squad of 2025 suffered defeat in their first tour game against Argentina in Dublin last week, and face Western Force in Perth for their first tour match in Australia on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
“It is interesting. You go from watching these guys, preparing for them, despising them in some ways and all of a sudden you meet them and they are great blokes,” Sheehan told Sky Sports in Australia.
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Take a look at some behind-the-scenes footage from pre-match and at half-time from the British and Irish Lions’ loss to Argentina
“That is just rugby and you have got to turn it on.
“We have all realised pretty quickly we are all good fellas and enjoy each other’s company and we have enjoyed the last few weeks of getting to know each other.
“It is a big part of what we have tried to focus on is buying into our connection as a group and making sure it is tight and getting to know each other off the field as well as on it.”
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The British and Irish Lions suffered defeat to Argentina in Dublin on Friday in their opening tour fixture
Pushed on which players from the England, Scotland and Wales camps he may have previously formed a negative view on, Sheehan was coy before admitting England prop Ellis Genge is someone who has since surprised him.
“I am not going to give names. You prepare for them and see them as talismans for their own country and you are probably glad to be on their side now and sharing the same shirt,” he said.
“We need to make sure we bring all that energy we used to have against each other and bring it out on Saturday against Western Force.
“It is something that we just need to embrace and have a laugh about if there has been anything over the last few years and use to our advantage.
“He [Genge] is a great fella – he is real, he is honest. I love the energy he brings to the squad and training is unbelievable.
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The British and Irish Lions arrived in Perth ahead of their 2025 Tour in Australia.
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Sky Sports’ Eleanor Roper and former Lions captain Sam Warburton dissect the talking points from the British and Irish Lions’ defeat vs Argentina
“His performance against Argentina was a standout performance and I think a lot of people follow off the back of that.
“He will be a massively important player in this squad over the next few weeks and he is just one of many who bring their own talent and just are themselves.
“That is something you can’t beat is someone being themselves and bringing what they can to the table.”
British & Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports
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Watch the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia exclusively live on Sky Sports this summer
Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.
