Farrell wants players to visit the ‘hurt arena’

Beauden Barrett’s assertion that the All Blacks’ sparkling offensive play is only just getting started certainly sounded pretty disconcerting from a Lions point of view, given it came after a 12-try thrashing of Samoa.

Yet as much as Andy Farrell knows the tourists will have to make a big step up in class when they come face to face with world champions New Zealand in the opening Test at Eden Park on Saturday, the Lions defence coach believes he has seen the emergence of a group of leaders in Warren Gatland’s squad who will relish that challenge.

Speaking on Friday night after the 78-0 demolition of the Samoans in Auckland, All Blacks fly-half Barrett said of his backline going int the three-Test series with the Lions: “This is only a start and we can certainly get better in all aspects of our game.