THE British & Irish Lions opened their 2013 tour of Australia with a strident 59-8 victory over the Barbarians at a sweltering Hong Kong Stadium.
In a match where searing heat and humidity hampered the players' handling, the Lions overcame a tight opening quarter to run in eight tries and overpower their opponents.
Two scores each from Mike Phillips and Alex Cuthbert, as well as one apiece for Paul O'Connell, Jonathan Davies, Dan Lydiate and Alun Wyn Jones, pulled the Lions clear, while the Barbarians replied with a touchdown from departing Ospreys scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i.
Matches against the traditionally loose and liberal Barbarians tend to be friendly affairs, but there was no room for any Corinthian spirit in a full-blooded first half, with Barbarians hooker Schalk Brits sin-binned for lashing out at his Saracens team-mate Owen Farrell.
The Lions' fly-half composed himself enough to convert two penalties, while Elliot Daly got the Barbarians off the mark with a three-pointer of his own.
Conditions at the Hong Kong Stadium made fluid, running rugby difficult. With temperatures soaring past 30 degrees Celsius and humidity at more than 80 per cent, players sweated so profusely that they looked like they had showered in their kits before kick-off.
When the Lions did manage to hold on to the ball, their superiority was evident.
The first try was the result of patient build-up from Warren Gatland's men, Stuart Hogg and Justin Tipuric heavily involved as the Lions inched their way to the Barbarians' line.
Scrum-half Phillips changed the pace of the attack with an incisive dart and, although he was held up, captain O'Connell was on hand to touch down from a yard out.
The second try arrived just five minutes later, and this time Phillips did not need any help as he powered past Sergio Parisse and Joe Rokocoko on his way to the line.
Farrell converted both scores and struck another penalty to give the Lions a 23-3 half-time lead, and they began the second period with a bang – Phillips again to the fore.
Lydiate claimed the ball at the back of a line-out and found his Wales colleague Phillips, and the former Ospreys scrum-half threw a dummied pass before gliding through from 25 yards for his second try.
The Barbarians reduced the deficit with a score from another Ospreys scrum-half, Kahn Fotuali'i, who touched down after a sharp break from Joe Rokocoko.
The Lions responded with a fourth try, a tackle from Tipuric and a pick-up from the excellent Jamie Roberts setting up Davies to cap his fine individual performance with a try.
Wales wing Cuthbert then got in on the act, having been starved of the ball in the first half.
The Blues giant sped clear to touch down in the corner shortly after the hour mark, and then he took advantage of some good work from Conor Murray to score his second moments later.
The Lions' seventh score was a more attritional effort, with Lydiate nudging his way over after a driving maul.
Alun Wyn Jones, on as a substitute for O'Connell, then brought the curtain down on a ruthless Lions performance as he scored their eighth try with the final play of the game.
