Heaslip: We can handle pressure

This may be a new experience for all of these Lions save for Brian O’Driscoll, but Jamie Heaslip is confident the 2013 squad can cope with the pressure of having a first Test series victory since 1997 within their grasp.

The Lions took the first giant step towards that goal on Saturday in Brisbane when they repeated the feat of O’Driscoll and his fellow 2001 tourists and won the opening Test. Martin Johnson’s squad could not close the deal, losing the next two Tests and with it the series, but Ireland captain and 2009 Lion Heaslip believes there is enough experience within Warren Gatland’s current squad to get the job done, either in Melbourne this weekend or in the final Test in Sydney on July 6.

“We’ve got a lot of players who have played in really big, important games,” Heaslip said.