Lions a career high for tourists

Becoming a Lion is the pinnacle for a British or Irish player. Making your test debut for your country is a special occasion, yet distinctly different.

In the year of a Lions tour, the Six Nations championship is the benchmark for the selectors to work from, and, whether they admit it or not, there's no doubt players have half an eye on getting a ticket for what should be the trip of a lifetime.

It is steeped in tradition, has a proud history and few players are honoured by being chosen.

I've been lucky enough to be selected for three Lions tours and make no mistake whether it's your first or third tour, when your name is read out there is still the same tingling on the back of the neck.

Although it will be my first Lions tour of New Zealand, I have been there with England twice, in 1998 when I captained my country and we were well beaten at Carisbrook and Eden Park, and last year when the results were similar at the same venues.

That, coupled with discussing it with New Zealand players and coaches who have become friends in Britain, has given me a good idea of what to expect.

Anyone who knows anything about rugby knows that A: given a choice of country to tour, any Lion would plump for New Zealand; and B: any rugby person knows New Zealand thrive on the biggest challenges. Everyone knows they are in for the toughest rugby assignment. This tour won't be any different.

You can draw a comparison with soccer in Britain. It is what most people are madly passionate about.

So it is with rugby in New Zealand. It is an integral part of life there and whether it is the Bledisloe Cup or Tri-Nations, in my experience people want to watch, want to feel involved in it.

None of our players were on the last Lions tour 12 years ago. Assistant coach Ian McGeechan and doctor James Robson were.

They know what it's all about but I don't know if any of us quite understand how it will feel day by day, just walking down the street and being part of daily life around the provinces, simply because we've never experienced it.

The key aspect of the first couple of games will be setting a standard we want to maintain throughout the tour, on and off the pitch.

We are four very proud nations and over the last couple of years generally successful nations.

The games against Bay of Plenty and Taranaki will be huge for players and management. Not only do we want to prove ourselves, but every player will want to put their hand up for test selection later in the tour.

It's no secret that on any tour there will be players who won't get a huge amount of playing time throughout the trip. That's just life.

I could be one of those players, or I might be involved in the test matches, but either way it's about how you react to that which makes a tour.

There's no question every player has one objective and in that we're all singing from the same hymn sheet.

We had an excellent few days together getting acquainted shortly after the squad was announced. It wasn't about rugby, more about developing team understanding, and in my view it was pitched just right.

It's a curious thing, but although we've all played against each other, many of us haven't socialised together and know relatively little about our new team-mates.

For example, among the other halfbacks, I know Dwayne Peel pretty well, Gareth Cooper a bit, but Chris Cusiter I'd never met.

When we arrived it was a bit like walking into your first day at school. But by the second day there was a bit of banter and mickey-taking flying about, and when we finished the feeling was we couldn't wait to get back together before the Argentine warm

-up test. It was a good feeling.

With over 40 players arriving in Auckland, it's obvious there's going to be a battle for test spots.

I've made it clear to anyone who has asked that I'm not going on tour to be second fiddle. I never have and never will. That's not part of my make-up.

I can't speak for my senior English mates, Lawrence Dallaglio or Neil Back, on this, but I'm sure they feel the same. It's not a holiday and they'll be striving at least as hard as any of the younger players to make that test team.

If I end up being on the bench I'll give the team as much support as possible. But I won't be setting out with that objective.

This is another rugby adventure. Whether it's my last doesn't bother me.

I have been very fortunate to be in an England side at the height of their powers at the World Cup and in the year beforehand. It was a significant part of my career. The knowledge I gained in that period was invaluable.

Others might view Lawrence, Neil and I as the senior pros. If there's even a single sentence which I can offer as a benefit for a team-mate that's great and I'll gladly help out.

But that's not why I'm coming on tour. I'm going to be pushing for the test team.

There will be huge obstacles for us. Remember only one Lions team have won in New Zealand going back to 1930.

Talk about a true challenge. I'd rather be nowhere else for the next few weeks.

· Matt Dawson is one of the Lions halfbacks and will write for the Herald and Herald on Sunday during the tour.