The British and Irish Lions got their summer tour underway in Hong Kong this afternoon when they took on the Barbarians.
Warren Gatland made a number of notable selections since taking over as the team's head coach and he was hoping that his players could stake their claim for a place in the side when they face Australia in the Test matches.
The Lions put in a great performance to earn a six-try win over their opponents.
Read how it all unfolded in the live commentary below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from Hong Kong, where the British and Irish Lions take on the Barbarians in the opening match of their summer tour of Australia.
It's finally here rugby fans! It seems as if we have been waiting forever for this first match, and I'm so excited for it. I'm sure you are as well.
KICKOFF NEWS! The start of today's match has been delayed by five minutes, due to the Lions getting stuck in manic traffic.
Some early team news for you from the Lions camp. As I'm sure you're aware, Sam Warburton misses out on this match with an injury, so former skipper Paul O'Connell will captain the side today in his absence.
Here is the rest of the team news.
LIONS XV: Vunipola, Hibbard, Jones, Gray, O'Connell, Lydiate, Tipuric, Faletau, Hogg, Cuthbert, Davies, Roberts, Maitland, Farrell, Phillips
BARBARIANS XV: Payne, Rokocoko, Daly, Laulala, Ngwenya, Evans, Yachvili; James, Brits, Castrogiovanni, Wentzel, Mumm, Manoa, S Jones, Parisse
Warren Gatland has been commenting on the kickoff delay, and doesn't believe it will affect his players.
Gatland: "There's no panic, they're professional, so they'll just get on."
Just 15 minutes to go until the Lions tour gets underway.
So as you can see, the Lions lineup contains no fewer than nine Welshmen, with an all-Welsh back row in Justin Tipuric, Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau.
The Barbarians go into this match off the back of a big 40-12 defeat to England, so they will be looking for some kind of revenge in this match.
Less than five minutes to go!
The teams are making their way out the tunnel, with Lion toy in hand, to mass amounts of pyro and applause.
Both sides are just carrying out the usual pre-match rituals and we will shortly be underway.
At the moment, we're currently sitting through the China national anthem.
We're all done, kick off is imminent!
The Lions tour has begun!
Owen Farrell takes the kick, and the 2013 tour of Australia is on.
Decent start from the Lions, they're taking to the Barbarians in the early stages of the match but the Baa-Baas are holding their own at the moment.
Ouch. Stuart Hogg catches a kick and goes on one of his textbook mazy runs. However, he runs straight into Laulala, who flattens him like a pancake but concedes a penalty.
PENALTY SCORED! Lions 3-0 Barbarians (Owen Farrell) The Lions have their first points on the board and it's Owen Farrell who drops the ball between the posts.
The conditions aren't ideal out there. The pitch is already cutting up in the early stages of this match. Imagine the state of it come the final whistle. The heat will no doubt also be causing problems.
Handbags! Well slightly more than that. Owen Farrell is caught trying to trade blows with the opposition from the ruck and the penalty is awarded to the BaaBaas. Farrell was holding and standing offside, but Brits absolutely chins him! David Haye would be proud of that.
After seeing that strike, referee Steve Walsh could give the decision the other way.
The TMO has made his verdict, and we await the decision.
YELLOW CARD Schalk Brits is sent to the sin bin for that punch. Walsh makes it clear that because it is a warm-up match, it is just a yellow for him. Nothing has been given to Farrell.
Well Barbarians head coach Dai Young said that his side would be more fired up, I think we have seen enough evidence of that.
The ironic thing about the Brits-Farrell clash is that the two are in fact teammates at Saracens! You just cannot make that up.
Good break from Jamie Roberts, but Alex Cuthbert fails to take his offload and the ball is knocked on.
So close! The Lions nearly get the game's opening try. Barbarians lose possession after trying to take a quick kick. The Lions turn it over and Maitland plays a grubber towards the try line and pegs after it. He is just pipped to the ball by Yachvili.
The Lions have a penalty after the scrum collapses on their five-metre line. Farrell's kick from the left is poor though and the score stays the same.
The BaaBaas have so much more bite about them today compared to when they turned out at Twickenham last week. They now have a penalty which Elliot Daly is eyeing up.
PENALTY SCORED! Lions 3-3 Barbarians (Elliot Daly)
What a massive kick that was! From 49m out, Elliot Daly manages to get enough hang time on the ball for it to loop over the posts and level the game up.
Due to the humidity, we are currently undergoing one of four scheduled water breaks. Ironically, the song of "Ole Ole Ole Ole, feeling hot hot hot," sounds around the stadium.
O'Connell's shirt is already drenched in sweat and sticking to his body. That's how hot it is in Hong Kong.
Good hands by Davies puts Maitland free on the left, but Payne comes up and the Scot winger knocks the ball on in the tackle.
The Lions have another penalty, this time on the right. Can Owen Farrell make amends for his earlier miss?
PENALTY SCORED! Lions 6-3 Barbarians (Owen Farrell)
No mistake this time, easier as you like from Farrell from wide out on the right wing.
Farrell gets the ball on the halfway line in a deep position and kicks a high ball into the sky. It finally lands back in Hong Kong and is caught heroically by the onrushing Roberts, and the Lions can continue the move. Phenomenal stuff from the duo.
Vunipola is given a stern warning for slipping out of the scrum, on the restart, the Lions are awarded the decision and opt to kick early.
The Lions can smell a try. Nice passage of play at the moment and they are just yards from the try line. The Barbarians are standing strong for now.
The Lions come so close to going over. First through Phillips, which the Lions feel that they have held up. Then O'Connell dummies before darting over, and the ref sends it to the TMO.
TRY! Lions 11-3 Barbarians (Paul O'Connell)
It's been given, and the skipper O'Connell scores the first try of the 2013 Lions tour.
CONVERSION SCORED! Lions 13-3 Barbarians (Owen Farrell)
Farrell adds the extras to give the Lions some breathing space.
TRY! Lions 18-3 Barbarians (Mike Phillips)
The Lions break downfield, with Cuthbert offloading to Phillips who slaloms through the opposition. He is hit by Parisse but he cannot hold him, and the duo roll over the try line for Phillips to touch down.
CONVERSION SCORED! Lions 20-3 Barbarians (Owen Farrell)
Not mistake from Farrell on the left, the Lions now have a 17-point lead.
We're enduring another water break at the moment. The ball is really slipping away from players out there. Torrid conditions for both sides.
O'Connell is back on after taking a short break in the blood bin. Alun-Wyn Jones did a sterling job for the short time he was on the field.
The Baa-Baas have a real chance to get their first try when Daly passes to Wentzel. The ball slips from his grasp and we have a scrum.
The Barbarians are penalised for the sixth time at a scrum! Lions have a penalty. Paul James the guilty person.
The conditions are causing havoc out there as we approach half time. The ball is pretty much acting the same as a bar of soap.
Lions have a penalty, Farrell snatche the ball and looks to convert from 50m on the right.
PENALTY SCORED! Lions 23-3 Barbarians (Owen Farrell)
HALF TIME Lions 23-3 Barbarians
That brings the half to the close as Farrell looks determined to try to impress on his Lions debut.
So far so good for the Lions. Despite the conditions they have largely dominated the half, and take a big lead into the break against a good Barbarians lineup.
The teams are back out here, ahead of the second half.
No changes, and we are back underway.
TRY! Lions 28-3 Barbarians (Mike Phillips)
What a start to the half for the Lions and Phillips gets his second try of the match and it is a comfortable one. The Lions win the lineout and play it to Phillips, he dummies his marker before diving over in the corner.
CONVERSION SCORED! Lions 30-3 Barbarians (Owen Farrell)
Farrell hits another good kick, and the Lions are off to a flyer here.
That try was far too easy for Phillips, and he knew that as soon as he got the ball that he was going to go over with it. Poor defending from the Baa-Baas.
So close! Justin Tipuric takes the ball from the ruck and heads for the posts. Rokocoko manages to make a last-ditch tackle and holds up the try.
Five-metre scrum for the Lions and they have a prime chance to add to the score.
Good defending from the Barbarians. The ball drops loose to Yachvili from the scrum, who bats the ball through his legs to a teammate for it to be cleared. The pressure is on the Baa-Baas at the moment though.
Wow! That was close yet again from the Lions, but Yachvili makes another try-saving stop. Tipuric kicks the ball through to Maitland who quickly offloads it to Farrell. The latter closes in on the try line and opts for a looped pass, but Yachvili is there to palm it away at the death.
Tom Youngs on for the Lions, replacing Richard Hibbard at hooker.
TRY! Lions 30-8 Barbarians (Kahn Fortuali'i)
It's a lovely try for the Baa-Baas, they managed to turn the ball over and hoist the ball out to Rokocoko. It's a majestic run from him as he leaves Faletau for dead before passing inside to Fortuali'i who runs over.
CONVERSION MISSED! Lions 30-8 Barbarians (Nick Evans)
The Baa-Baas fail to add the extras and the two sides go off for a water break. Owen Farrell has gone off, and Johnny Sexton is on.
Lions think they have scored another try when Jonathan Davies goes over, but Walsh sends it to the TMO after a suspicion of several knock-ons. I think the try will be given though.
TRY! Lions 35-8 Barbarians (Jonathan Davies)
They try is given and Davies, who has been superb today, gets awarded the score.
CONVERSION SCORED! Lions 37-8 Barbarians (Johnny Sexton)
Sexton is off the mark with the boot, and the Lions have a big lead now.
TRY! Lions 42-8 Barbarians (Alex Cuthbert)
The lions are running riot. Cuthbert makes a big hit on Parisse to turn the ball over. Faletau picks up the pieces and pass right to Jamie Roberts who waits for the moment before popping in Cuthbert, who races towards the corner and goes over for the points.
CONVERSION MISSED! Lions 42-8 Barbarians (Johnny Sexton)
Sexton misses his second kick from the touchline. It was a tricky ask and one that he couldn't pull off.
The Welsh players are really linking up well at the moment. Cuthbert, Jones, Faletau, Roberts and others are all running riot in Hong Kong.
The Barbarians kick the ball into touch and have a lineout deep in the Lions half. They are coming into the game a bit more now. Rokocoko is always dangerous.
TRY! Lions 47-8 Barbarians (Alex Cuthbert)
It's another try for the Lions and a brace for Cuthbert. He combined well with North and O'Gara, before darting over in the bottom corner. Lovely score.
CONVERSION MISSED! Lions 47-8 Barbarians (Johnny Sexton)
Sexton misses an identical chance to the one he had earlier. No extras added.
With eight minutes to go, we have another water break.
The game starting to drag in the closing stages here. But there is a lot for Warren Gatland and his coaching staff to be happy about.
TRY! Lions 52-8 Barbarians (Dan Lydiate)
What was I saying? The Lions score again. They win the lineout just a few yards from the try line, before bringing the ball down and driving over. Lydiate is the carrier, and he gets the honours.
CONVERSION SCORED! Lions 54-8 Barbarians (Johnny Sexton)
Sexton gets it the third time around, and the Lions lead by 46 points.
Nick Evans has a run for the Baa-Baas, but he is stopped in his tracks by Heaslip as this game comes to a close.
Time is up, but the Lions have a penalty and are keen on another try.
TRY! Lions 59-8 Barbarians (Alun-Wyn Jones)
They get it! Lions play the line well and wing it out to Jones, who jogs over the line to add the final try of the match.
CONVERSION MISSED! Lions 59-8 Barbarians (Johnny Sexton)
FULL TIME: Lions 59-8 Barbarians
A big big win for the Lions and Warren Gatland will be delighted with that. They had great shape, pattern and structure and there is certainly a lot of competition for places.
The Welsh players were certainly class in this outing, and Lions take some real momentum going into their clash with Western Force on Wednesday.
That's it from me, I hope you enjoyed the game. See you soon.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
