Former Bath, England and Lions centre

After the disaster of the last tour to New Zealand, the Lions will be relishing the chance to get back on the pitch on Saturday and start to erase those memories.

Keith Earls is one of nine debutants in the Lions starting XV

The first match of the tour will be nerve-wracking for all involved, and there is no such thing as a gentle warm-up match in South Africa.

But the opposition is a scratch side as well, drawn from the second tier of South African rugby.

Like all South African teams they will try and be physical but I think the Lions squad is more than physical enough to handle anything the provincial or Test teams throw at them.

Saturday's opener shouldn't present too many problems but as it is their first game the Lions will be pretty scratchy, so I expect plenty of dropped passes in the first half.

However, by half-time they should all have got to know each other and they should kick on and win the game.

Young guys like Keith Earls will have mixed emotions because they will be on top of the world but at the same time they will be nervous deep down in a way they will never have experienced before.

You always have nerves going out to play for your club and your country but as you move up each level the intensity increases.

On the outside I appeared to be calm even though inside I had a sickly feeling, but it does not last long and as soon as you run out onto the pitch you start thinking 'let's get it on'.

The mascot - here carried by Gareth Edwards - is seen at every match

Earls will want to get hold of the ball very early so he can show Lions supremo Ian McGeechan what he is capable of.

Captain Paul O'Connell will have such a massive feeling of pride as he runs down the tunnel clutching the stuffed toy lion each tour has as its mascot.

So many great Lions captains have done the same thing, running out with the mascot - it will be a huge moment for him.

It is always interesting to see what clues the selection offers about the possible make-up of the Test team and there are a couple of combinations that look like they might be used in the Tests.

For instance, O'Connell and Simon Shaw in the second row is a possible one, but I'm not sure we'll see Saturday's back row of Joe Worsley, Martyn Williams and Andy Powell in the first Test - it doesn't look right to me.

Mike Blair and Ronan O'Gara do look like a possible Test half-back partnership though.

Mike Phillips is the favourite to start at scrum-half but Blair's ability to make darting breaks around the side of the breakdown will scare the Boks.

I would be surprised if Jamie Roberts and Earls was the Test centre partnership.

I think there is something wrong at the heart of the Springboks because there is every indication that it is captain John Smit who is running the team

Roberts has to show the form he produced against Scotland in the Six Nations and Shane Williams also has to find some form - he has been very quiet.

Like all touring teams the Lions face a race against time to be ready for the Tests but I am convinced the Springboks will be undercooked when they play the first Test on 20 June.

They only have one warm-up game, against a Namibia XV, and six or seven of their Test team will be missing because of the Super 14 final.

I also think there is something wrong at the heart of the Springboks because there is every indication that it is captain John Smit who is running the team.

Coach Peter de Villiers just seems to be there as a figurehead and I really don't know how much input he is having with the Boks.

Back in England a number of youngsters have a great chance to make an impression on Martin Johnson against the Barbarians on Saturday.

I'm glad to see Northampton's versatile Ben Foden in the team because he is a player on form and while I don't think wing is his best position, you have to find a place for him and he will have freedom to roam.

I'm really pleased giant Bath wing Matt Banahan is in. I've been calling for him to be given a chance with England for over a year now because he offers something different.

He's difficult to bring down, he's not slow and he can act as another forward as well as being a try scorer and although everyone thinks he will be cumbersome in defence he has come on a lot this year.

606: DEBATE Who do you think will make their name over the next few weeks? JS

The third young back with a chance to make a big impression is Harlequins centre Jordan Turner-Hall.

I think the centre partnership of him and Jamie Noon is typical of the sort you see in the professional game these days - neither of them is going to run 80 yards to score a try, unless every member of the opposition falls over.

But although you know they will both do the same thing and bang it up the middle, it's a good opportunity for Turner-Hall.

If he gets over the gain line consistently, makes some busts and passes out of the tackle, he'll have put down a big marker to be an England centre for years to come.

There are youngsters in action at both Twickenham and in South Africa who have a chance to make a real name for themselves this weekend.

I was lucky enough to be called up for the Lions in 1989 having played only played once for England and was then picked in the team for the second Test against Australia.

The try I scored in our victory that day really boosted my career. I am looking forward to seeing who will seize the chance over the next few weeks to do something similar.

Jeremy Guscott was talking to James Standley.

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