Players who had been training together for the past two weeks make up the majority of the British and Irish Lions side to play the opening game of their 10-match tour of New Zealand.

Coach Warren Gatland's squad only arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday and face the Provincial Barbarians in the northern city of Whangarei on Saturday.

The Lions' preparation had been hamstrung by European club commitments with players filtering into training camps after those had been completed.

"The advantage of the team we have selected is that the players were together in the first week in Wales," Gatland said.