Roberts expects things to get tougher from here

The British & Irish Lions have arrived in Sydney expecting an increase in intensity from their upcoming opponents ahead of the first Test with Australia in nine days.

A 10-try, 64-0 thumping of the Combined Country in Newcastle on Tuesday was the third comfortable win in four games for Warren Gatland’s squad with only Super XV big guns the Queensland Reds asking any serious questions of the tourists, outscoring them two tries to one before falling to the visitors 22-12 last Saturday.

The head coach knows his players needs a similar examination to the one Quade Cooper and his Reds posed and Lions centre Jamie Roberts is convinced the New South Wales Waratahs, coached by former Leinster boss Michael Cheika, will provide that when the teams clash at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

“I think Saturday will be far tougher than Tuesday night,” said Roberts, who reprised his 2009 tour partnership with Brian O’Driscoll in midfield during the rout of the Country XV at Hunter Stadium.

“The boys who played against the Reds, that was a really tough hit out against a quality team. The Waratahs will provide equal competition to the Reds.

“You can argue both ways. It’s the nature of the tour, but it’s up to us as a side to raise the intensity in our game. That’s maybe something we didn’t do (against Combined Country). That’s the frustrating thing, more than anything. We played some good rugby but it’s just taking ourselves to the next level having not gone for the jugular.

“If Gats doesn’t feel we’re reaching that Test-match intensity in games, he’ll make sure we do it in training. The sports science team out here are second to none and it’s about getting things right off the pitch as well. If Gats doesn’t feel that we’re getting to that intensity, he’ll certainly replicate it in training leading up to the first Test.”

Gatland insisted Tuesday’s run against a team of part-time club men and Super Rugby fringe players was a worthwhile exercise for his squad, continuing the Lions’ undefeated start to the tour and continuing to build cohesion and momentum ahead of the June 22 first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane.

Yet the Combined Country did not provide the required intensity, however appealing the fixture lived up to the Corinthian ethos of traditional touring.

“Ultimately we’ve got to be playing teams where it’s far more competitive,” Roberts said, “but that’s the nature of touring, that’s the way it is. We always knew that these games would be part of the tour.

“From 2009, we have to remember that we came very close to winning, but for a couple of mistakes in that first Test and that second Test as well. I’m sure that Saturday is going to be as equal, if not a greater, challenge than the Reds game. I don’t think there’s any danger of this squad being undercooked for the Tests.”