British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has praised his side's composure after they kicked off their summer tour with a 58-9 win over the Barbarians this afternoon.

The Lions ran in eight tries despite having to compete with tough conditions that saw humidity levels reach 94%.

The match started slowly, with a number of handling issues hampering both sides, but Gatland believes that the eventual margin of victory for his side is a good platform to build on.

"The conditions were very tough and we missed three or four opportunities in the first half. But we kept going. The players said the ball was like a bar of soap, but they kept their composure after a rusty start," he said.

"To kick off like that keeps momentum and puts pressure on those players who were not involved today. That's what you want as a coach. It's a nice platform.

"We went there with the intention of keeping the ball on the park and wanting to play. They didn't have a ruck in our 22 during the entire game. All in all it was a really good start."

The Lions will now travel to Australia, where they will play five warm-up games before their first Test against the Wallabies on June 22.