The jet-lagged Lions started their tour with an unconvincing effort against New Zealand Provincial Barbarians, coming from behind to take a 13-7 verdict in Whangarei.
Where does the performance leave the Test prospects of the 12 Welsh players in Warren Gatland’s party?
MARK ORDERS works it all out.
Leigh Halfpenny
There are two specialist full-backs on tour and one of them, Stuart Hogg, started with a performance that might have prompted Warren Gatland to wake up in the middle of the night bathed in cold sweat.
It was the first game of the trip so perhaps we should cut Hogg some slack, but there are people who play in division three west central who would have fancied their chances of executing the two-on-one with Anthony Watson that the Scot botched.
Never mind glimpses of fast footwork, the first job of a No. 15 is to inspire confidence in those around him and Hogg also struggled on that count.
Halfpenny will believe a good performance in his first game will give him an early advantage in the battle to start in the Tests.
Liam Williams
Anthony Watson looked sharp enough in attack, albeit on a meagre diet of ball, and scored the first try of the tour, but there were a couple of missed tackles on the ledger, too.
Tommy Seymour had the odd encouraging moment with ball in hand, while he did the basics well in defence.
So there were par performances from both wings — decent enough, but nothing special.
For Williams, the challenge is to apply pressure by playing as he did in New Zealand last summer. Do that and he should be there or thereabouts when it matters.
George North
North is in a similar position to Liam Williams, knowing that he can steal a march on the wings who played in the first game by hitting the ground running.
Like his Wales team-mate, he has credit in the bank from the tour of New Zealand a year ago, when he threatened virtually every time he had the ball in the opening Test, making six clean breaks. Read that again: six clean breaks.
Get anywhere near that form and North will be one of the first names on Gatland’s team-sheet for the Tests.
Jonathan Davies
Jonathan Joseph had a poor game against the Provincial Barbarians, making limited impact in attack and looking brittle in defence, missing three of his eight tackle attempts and finding himself turned over twice.
He is better than that, but the problem is on a Lions tour opportunities can be few and far between and chances need to be taken.
Davies’s late-season resurgence with the Scalets will not have gone unnoticed by Gatland, and the Welshman will start the trip with confidence high.
There are others like Elliot Daly and Jared Payne who are also in the mix for the outside centre spot, but if Davies can extend his purple patch it will take some effort to deny him the No. 13 jersey against New Zealand.
Dan Biggar
The whole world and his budgie — but not Biggar — would have assumed the Ospreys No. 10 was destined for an extended stint in the midweek side on this trip.
But Johnny Sexton could hardly have been more unconvincing in the tour opener.
Gatland will hardly consider writing off the Irishman just yet, but Sexton was out of sorts against the Scarlets in the Guinness PRO12 semi-finals and so badly needs a decent display to restore confidence.
Owen Farrell seized the day by coming off the bench and taking charge against the Barbarians, but Biggar might just sense an opportunity to put down a marker for a Test squad place.
Rhys Webb
While Conor Murray showed up well on the last Lions tour, that was four years ago and so should have only limited relevance to Warren Gatland’s thinking this time.
Form in 2017 should be the Kiwi’s prime concern.
Greig Laidlaw was steady without being within a galaxy of spectacular against the Provincial Barbarians, while Webb came off the bench and looked lively enough in the 23 minutes he spent on the field.
This should be a wide-open contest. If Murray rediscovers his top game — and he hasn’t been at his best since returning from a shoulder injury — he will be favourite to play in the Tests because of the excellence of his box kicking and the control he offers.
But Webb is capable of offering a challenge.
Ken Owens
Rory Best started the tour steadily — two turnovers were among his highlights, but he struggled to achieve go-forward — while Jamie George did what he could to make an impression.
Injury has hit Owens at a bad time, but he was the most impressive hooker in the Six Nations. If he he shakes off his ankle problem quickly and plays as he can, his name will figure prominently in deliberations ahead of the opening Test.
Alun Wyn Jones
There were mixed reviews for Jones after his opening-night performance.
The Daily Mail online he missed a couple of important tackles and looked short of his best.
The Sunday Times described him as “outstanding” with his endurance “a wonder”.
Let’s suggest the Ospreys captain probably performed somewhere in between.
He needs rugby after returning from injury and given that this was only his second game since the Six Nations his effort was a step in the right direction. But George Kruis made an impact after coming off the bench and Maro Itoje is also in the squad.
Jones will know he still needs to raise his game.
Ross Moriarty
The son of Paul Moriarty made an eye-catching contribution in the opener, giving the tourists go-forward with industrial-strength charges over the gain-line.
He offers a point of difference and has an up-and-at-‘em attitude that Gatland will enjoy.
The back row is fiercely contested, but it was a fine start to the trip from Moriarty and if he could throw a couple of turnovers into the mix, who knows?
Taulupe Faletau
His name should already be inked in for a Test spot.
Zinzan Brooke had accused him of lacking “mongrel” and not being a key player.
Hopefully, someone put a large helping of humble pie in front of the former All Black after the final whistle on Saturday.
Faletau was outstanding in all areas — the best defender and the best forward ball carrier. He achieved a turnover and pointed the way forward.
Jet lag? He wouldn’t understand the concept.
Sam Warburton
Like Alun Wyn Jones, Warburton needs rugby after two months out with injury.
Lob into the equation the tiring effects of travel and it doesn’t become hard to understand why he found it hard to show his true colours. He defended well enough without coming up with the stellar work at the breakdown that is his trademark.
Going forward, he tried hard without making much ground.
Time is against the skipper, but Gatland values him hugely and will hope he can recapture the form he showed during the Six Nations.
On Saturday’s evidence, he still has significant work to do.
Justin Tipuric
Tipuric’s problem is the one that has been with him throughout much of his Test career: namely that he plays in the same position as the captain.
Wales used him and Warburton in the back row with notable success during the Six Nations — Tipuric was, in many eyes, their player of the tournament — but, as has been pointed out, Gatland doesn’t seem a two-opensides type of guy.
But the Osprey showed enough in his 13 minutes on the field in Whangarei to suggest the New Zealander will have a decision to make.
He made a mark in defence and added pep to the attack. History would suggest the odds are against him; all he can do is play at his best.
