Byrne is confident of winning the tight five battle in New Zealand

"I believe we can get the edge there," said the 33-year-old Irishman, part of the pack that struggled in the Lions' opening game with Argentina in Cardiff.

"You have to remember that Argentina are always formidable up front; I don't think we'll face a tight challenge like that when we get to New Zealand.

"We'll look to impose ourselves in that area and I think we can do it."

The 38-cap Leinster man succeeded Keith Wood in the Ireland team and could become Wood's succesor as the Lions Test hooker.

"Keith's the last person I'll be thinking about to be honest," laughed Byrne.

"There are three other excellent hookers in the squad and I have to concentrate if I want that jersey.

"The line out went well for me against Argentina, but it's not all about that and we have to work on what they did to us at the breakdown."

I'd love to think we could gain an edge up front Paul O'Connell

Should he make the Test team, Byrne will be looking to link up with compatriot Paul O'Connell, seen as a certainty for one of the second row berths.

The giant Munster man, 25, is seen as the player who carries many of the Lions hopes of domination up front as the spiritual successor to Martin Johnson.

"I'm not sure about succeeding Johnson, he's a Lions legend," O'Connell told BBC Sport.

"He took second row play to a new level, never took a backward step. The commitment he showed is something to aspire to."

The 29-cap man would not be drawn on Byrne's suggestion of a weakness in the All Blacks tight play.

"I'd love to think we could gain an edge, the challenge is always up front and that's where you look to impose yourself," he said.

"But you look at the talent New Zealand have and there's no doubt how formidable they'll be."