Embrace the pressure: Lions put power first

Andy Farrell has urged his British & Irish Lions players to embrace the pressure of their billing as heavy favourites to beat Australia in the series opener.

- Gerard Meagher

The Lions will go into tomorrow's first Test as odds-on favourites after the head coach named a powerful side featuring Tom Curry at openside flanker and Sione Tuipulotu at inside-centre to face a Wallabies team missing Will Skelton, Rob Valetini and Taniela Tupou.

The Lions have not won a series since the last time they faced Australia in 2013 – their only victory since 1997 – but in a demonstration of their confidence, a number of players, including Ben Earl and Henry Pollock, have targeted a 3-0 win this summer. Pollock has even talked about being "the best Lions team ever", a claim that has gone down badly among a host of former Wallabies.

Asked if he wants his players to walk towards the pressure that comes with such expectation, Farrell said: "One hundred per cent. Why wouldn't you? You're just getting on with building your own belief, your own confidence as a team. And it goes both ways. Australia will be exactly the same.

"You're walking around town and you can already feel it heating up and it will only ramp up tomorrow, so it's making sure we do everyone proud here and at home with the type of performance that is one that's going to walk forward to the challenge and be the best version of ourselves."