DAN Sheehan admits he was surprised to learn fellow Lion Ellis Genge is “not a d***head”.
The front-row rivals have joined forces Down Under, with both players strong contenders to start the First Test against Australia on July 19.
And Ireland hooker Sheehan confessed: “It’s mad how fast you can go from despising people to hanging around with them and going for coffee.
“Genge would be a good one. He’s a passionate, animated player for England and someone who we, as Ireland, would need to target.
“Now he’s one person you enjoy having on the team. And he’s a funny bloke off the pitch. Everyone loves him. You can see the passion he brings to meetings, on to the pitch and in the scrum.
“He’s definitely someone that surprises you that he’s not a d***head.”
As part of the Leinster team that won the URC, Sheehan was effectively ruled out of playing against Argentina in the tour send-off in Dublin on Friday night.
The 26-year-old is hoping for his Lions debut in Saturday’s collision with Western Force. He added: “I want to feel I can contribute to the jersey.”
The Blues star says the biggest challenge facing head coach Andy Farrell is gelling together players from four different nations.
He added: “Test rugby is so detailed, every inch of the game we play today is so hyper-detailed that it’s tricky to do in two weeks.
“You saw that in Dublin. Getting that all working together is what Faz has been labouring on with us already.
“There’s so much talent in the room and how we get it on to the pitch is the main challenge of the tour.”
