Eager Lions won’t show mercy

The British & Irish Lions face their weakest opposition in Combined Country today but with the first Test against Australia looming there is too much at stake for this squad to expect any deceleration from the players.

Head coach Warren Gatland has just 11 days and only three games left before his Lions meet the Wallabies in Brisbane on June 22 with the pressure on his players to perform and stake a claim to starting berth allied to the need for the collective to continue building momentum and cohesion make this just as important a fixture for the tourists as any of the others.

So while Hunter Stadium has seen upsets before, with Scotland beating the Australians here in a gale 12 months ago, it will not see another today.