LIST: The three unlikely friendships from the 2021 Lions tour

Aki Said: ""Honestly, I’ve learnt so much off that guy. I didn’t think I’d get along with him so well. Obviously you only know him from across the pitch, you only know him when you’re playing against him.

"But the standards he’s been doing when I’m not selected, and the way he’s been approaching me as a person and as a player, he’s literally hanging around with us every single day, which is cool, because you don’t see that side of him.

"He’s a great bloke to have around, I’ve learnt so much off him. Like I said, I have enjoyed my time being here."

The pair seemingly struck up a friendship early on in the tour and have been getting on like a house on fire ever since. And they’ve even picked up a new skill as a result of their friendship, although they’re not very good at it according to Furlong.

Furlong said: “It’s over-egged, to be honest with you really,” said Furlong when asked about him and Curry’s new DJ skills.

“The long and short of it is, Tom Curry found decks, they brought a lot of stuff over for us just to keep us entertained in the hotel and stuff like that.

“So, Tom Curry found decks and decided he wanted to be a DJ. I was like ‘Look, let’s have a go, ‘ bit of craic, trying to learn a new skill and what have you.

“It went terribly. And then we found out Josh Navidi or ‘Navici’ as we are calling him, he actually is a DJ, he actually does a bit of DJing in clubs, so we tried to learn a little bit off him.

“We have done a coffee morning, heavily helped by Navici and that’s about it. We are terrible. I wouldn’t be trying to sell any tickets for a night any time soon.”

Scotland loosehead Rory Sutherland discussed his newly kindled friendship with England’s Courtney Lawes.

Sutherland said: “I feel like I’m getting on really well with Courtney Lawes,

“I think me and him have formed a really good friendship. But I think it all started in Jersey in training when we were doing an attacking drill and Courtney was in defence, and he tackled the guy, he landed on the floor and I pushed him out the way. He turned around, and I’d better not say what he said on camera but along the lines of ‘if I did it again, I’d pay for it.’ Let’s just say it never happened again.

“But yeah, ever since I feel like we’ve bonded really well and really nice to form some friendships with people I never thought I would. I don’t know if Courtney feels the same way, I really hope he does.”