Jamie Roberts ready to lay down marker

The previous Lions went on to narrowly lose their series against South Africa, so all would not be lost even if the Lions contrived to do so at Hong Kong Stadium.

In 2009, the tour was up but hardly running when they scraped a victory over the Royal XV of part-timers.

“I will always remember that game,” said Roberts. “We almost lost it. Some of us were forcing things, doing things we wouldn’t usually do. It’s a cliche I know, but it’s a huge challenge in itself for the Lions to get everyone singing off the same hymn sheet.

“When I look back on that tour, I played some of the best rugby of my career in the Lions shirt and that’s what I desperately want to recreate. Ultimately I want to win a Lions Test series with these guys.

“It’s not about individual goals, but being part of a tour that wins. We were close in 2009. That changing room after the second Test was unlike anything I’d ever experienced and even four years later I still haven’t known anything like it – losing a game of such huge significance.”

In centre partnership with Brian O’Driscoll, Roberts was the Lions’ player of the series against the Springboks. But for him it ended with a serious wrist injury that put him out of the third Test, won by the Lions in Johannesburg.

Roberts and Jonathan Davies are given the first crack at centre today, with O’Driscoll and Manu Tuilagi to follow after the belated arrival in Australia.

“It’s right back to square one and the coaches have hammered that home to every player,” said Roberts. “However experienced you are, whatever has gone before, it’s all about playing well on this tour for the team.

“There is huge competition in my position. I’m sure Jon and I have a great opportunity to put down a marker and set a level.

“I’m equally sure Manu and Brian will come in and try to raise the bar next week.”

This is an attitude calculated to gratify coach Warren Gatland, who says that he has no preconceptions about Test selection and will not even have any conceptions about it until his Lions have played four of the six games leading to the first Test against the Wallabies.

Article source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/403847/Show-us-the-monster-Courtney-Lawes-says-England-coach

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Jamie Roberts ready to lay down marker