Blair Kinghorn Australian Arrival: A Flying Scot’s Late Entry, Big Impact?

Latest Lion lands in Brisbane after Toulouse triumphs — and gives captain Maro Itoje a midnight wake-up call

Blair Kinghorn touched his hotel keycard to the lock just before midnight on Monday, bleary-eyed after the long-haul journey from Paris via Dubai to Brisbane. But instead of the welcome of an empty room and a quiet bed, he was greeted by the sleepy silhouette of Maro Itoje, half-awake and blinking into the light.

“I thought, ‘Surely there won’t be anyone in here,’” Kinghorn recalled with a grin. “I was like, ‘Oh, sorry! You were asleep, weren’t you?’ He woke up, shook my hand, then went straight back to sleep.”

It was an unceremonious arrival, but one that marks a significant moment for the British & Irish Lions. Because the last man to join the party in Australia just might prove one of the most valuable before the end.

Toulouse glory, trophy haul, and a one-way ticket to the Lions

Kinghorn (second from right) helped Toulouse beat Bordeaux-Begles 39-33 after extra time in an all-time classic Top 14 final last weekend

Kinghorn arrives fresh from a storybook end to the French season with Toulouse — or perhaps more accurately, exhausted from it. A Champions Cup title secured with four penalties and 100 minutes on the pitch against Leinster. A Top 14 semi-final win. A Top 14 final, where he again played the full match (plus extra time) and scored a try on the wing.

In just over a month, he won more major trophies than in his previous eight seasons with Edinburgh. “These are the best of days,” he admits, speaking pitchside at the Lions’ training base in east Brisbane, bleary but buzzing.

“It’s been a massive focus on winning the Top 14 with Toulouse,” Kinghorn said. “Our coach [Ugo Mola] told us we’ve had a great season, but it means nothing if you don’t win silverware. So there was pressure. And to actually do it… it was unbelievable.”

He barely had time to celebrate. Toulouse’s squad partied late into the night, returning to their hotel around 3am. Kinghorn, still riding high on adrenaline and with perhaps only a whisper of sleep, was straight to the airport and onto a plane for Australia. When asked how much rest he managed, he grinned: “Confidential.”

Blair Kinghorn: Full-back, winger, fly-half… rugby Swiss Army knife

It’s his versatility that makes him such a valuable addition to Andy Farrell’s Lions squad. Kinghorn has played full-back — his favourite position — for most of his Test career. But at Toulouse, he’s regularly appeared on both wings. He’s also played at fly-half for Scotland, including in a try-scoring performance against the Wallabies.

“I’ve played the majority of my rugby at full-back, so I still say that’s probably my best position,” the 28-year-old says. “At club level, it’s a bit different. We have positions, but we don’t really have positions. Everything’s interchangeable. Winger’s the same as a full-back in most instances.”

He’s landed late and, by his own admission, has some catching up to do. While the Lions were playing the Pumas in Dublin and the Western Force in Perth, Kinghorn was busy playing in front of Emmanuel Macron and 80,000 fans at Stade de France in what turned out to be an all-time Top 14 final.

Learning on the fly — and hoping for Waratahs start

With Elliot Daly setting the early tone at full-back and Hugo Keenan getting his chance against the Queensland Reds, Kinghorn’s best shot at game time may come against the Waratahs on Saturday — the third of five matches before the Test series begins.

He doesn’t seem fazed by the task ahead. In fact, he seems energised by it. “The next couple of days will be head-in-the-book days for me,” he says. “I just need to learn everything and catch up with where the boys are at. Hopefully I’ll catch on pretty quickly. All I can do is learn as fast as I can and show what I can do if I get the chance to play.”

He said he didn’t hear much from Lions coaches during the French playoffs — and that was intentional. “The coaches all understand how intense it is to be in the knockout stages of your domestic league,” he explains. “They know that overloading you with Lions stuff during that time isn’t helpful.”

Toulouse changed everything

The move to Toulouse at the end of 2023 has proved transformational for Kinghorn. The jump in pressure, the level of training, the intensity — it’s all helped elevate his game.

“You’ve got to be on top of your game all the time,” he says. “The squad is so deep and talented, the coaches are on your back constantly. That kind of pressure makes you better. The way they see the game suits me too. It’s fluid, unstructured — a good match for how I like to play.”

A knee injury back in April could have derailed things — he missed eight weeks — but he now sees it as a blessing in disguise. “It freshened the brain a little bit,” he says.

A Lion who could roar late

He may be late to the party, but Kinghorn is no mere fringe player. His recent form, his adaptability, and his elite-level experience all make him a potential X-factor for this tour. His body might be tired, but the mind is sharp and hungry.

With the Tests looming and options still being weighed, Kinghorn is hoping to inject himself into the conversation quickly. In a squad where roles can shift game to game and Farrell prizes adaptability, Kinghorn may well become one of the Lions’ most useful weapons.

After all, what’s a few missed hours of sleep when a whole new chapter of your rugby life is just beginning?

And somewhere in Brisbane, Maro Itoje is probably hoping his new roommate remembers to tiptoe next time.