Kyle Sinckler has been added to the British & Irish Lions squad for the South Africa tour -- in what he called a "massive shock" -- after tighthead prop Andrew Porter was ruled out with a toe injury, head coach Warren Gatland said.
Ireland international Porter, 25, picked up the injury in Leinster's PRO 14 Rainbow Cup loss to Glasgow Warriors on Friday.
"It has been a month since the announcement and the emotion from not getting selected and then getting selected again, life is crazy isn't it?" Sinckler told British media on Monday.
"You just have to roll with the punches."
The 28-year-old said he did not want "to be a victim" after being initially left out and vowed to make the most of his late entry for the July-August tour.
"Now it's about not losing yourself in terms of everyone telling you how great you are," he said. "I didn't get selected in the first place because obviously I wasn't good enough and so I need to improve."
Sinckler was in the Lions squad for the 2017 tour of New Zealand but was among the notable absentees when the squad was announced last month.
"It's really bad luck for Andrew and we send him our very best wishes for a quick and successful rehab," Gatland said.
"Andrew is a young man with a big future ahead of him and I'm sure he'll be in contention again in four years' time.
"As always in rugby, when there's an injury there's an opportunity for someone else. I have been very pleased to see the way Kyle has responded to initially being left out of the touring party.
"He's showed some excellent form of late and I hope he continues to stick two fingers up to me about leaving him out in the first place."
The Lions play Japan at Murrayfield on June 26 ahead of their July-August tour of South Africa where they will play eight matches, including three tests against the world-champion Springboks.