'It was a bit of a shock': Thomas Clarkson blocks out social media backlash after Lions come calling

Clarkson found out he'd been called up by the Lions at 3am, hours after Ireland had defeated Portugal. "We were on a night out," he explained, "I had to go home straight away. But yeah, some text to get."

Six months ago, Thomas Clarkson had been an uncapped Ireland training panelist. Now, he has eight Ireland caps and came off the bench for the Lions on Tuesday. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

It is an indictment of social media and society in general that Thomas Clarkson’s first act as a British & Irish Lion was to disconnect from it.

For many of those who can remember the pre-internet age, the idea of withdrawing from the online world would be some kind of nirvana but if you are 24-years-old and that is the only life you have known then it is a different decision to have to make.