DAN BIGGAR is prepared to give his British & Irish Lions squad mates the benefit of the doubt after misjudging a Marmite figure of English rugby on the last tour.
Wales fly-half Biggar feared the worst when England back rower James Haskell was called up for the trip to New Zealand in 2017 after Billy Vunipola had pulled out injured.
Haskell would never win any popularity contests in Wales and Biggar, then at the Ospreys, was not alone in being suspicious of the ebullient flanker.
But Biggar admits his impressions of the Englishman were wrong and the flanker shocked him by being a superb tourist and he is willing to cut other players he doesn't know some slack in South Africa.
The 31-year-old said: “On tour last time there were people I thought I would never get on with in a million years but I ended up getting quite close with.
“Haskell got called up late and everyone who wasn't English was ‘I can't believe we have got to spend seven weeks with this bloke' but he was one of the best blokes you will ever meet.
“I am actually meeting him for a coffee next week.
That is how it pans out. I thought I would want to jump on the nearest plane home when Haskell came on tour but he ended up an absolute legend.
“It is impossible to go there and not have a bit of a clique from your club or your country or whatever but what everyone was really good at four years ago was just buying into it. It is really everyone important buys into it.
“Sam Simmonds hasn't played international rugby for a few years, I wouldn't know a huge amount about him.
“His been that good it will exciting to see if he can take it into an international environment.
“I don't know too many of the Scottish lads that well so it will just be good to get to know people.”
Biggar, along with Courtney Lawes, heard about his inclusion in the 37-man squad on Thursday when Northampton director of rugby Chris Boyd halted training at Saints to address the team.
Biggar has credited Boyd with bringing on his game since the boss arrived at Franklin's Gardens in 2018.
