Lions star Tom Curry makes very honest admission after Australia tour struggles

Tom Curry knows he faces a Test match trial when the Lions square up to the Brumbies on Wednesday but insists he has plenty more in the tank.

Boss Andy Farrell has gone large with this selection for the Canberra clash with the squad looking like a rough template of what he will field against the Wallabies in the first Test on 19 July.

But there are couple of players with points to prove and flanker Curry would be in that bracket, despite being a three-Test Lion in 2021, after failing to fire down under.

After the pre-tour game against Argentina, in Dublin, which the Lions lost 28-24 he cut a frustrated figure saying the entire squad needed to buck up their ideas.

And he is fully in spotligh against the best Australian side in Super Rugby but is admant he has plenty to offer the tourists after the squad's hectic run of three games in eight days in Oz.

The 27-year-old said: "There are moments when I've not been at my best, but I feel like it's building and when I'm back in games like this, the best is yet to come.

"I judge my game on how hard I work and that is how I get my enjoyment out of the game; getting off the floor and running and that sort of stuff. That puts me in the best spot to do what I want to do. I've done that but I feel like I can definitely add to it.

"I'm in a really good place, I'm going into this bit of stop-start but now backing up games, the more I play, the better I get. I feel like I'm timing it well."

Eight years ago in Argentina, Curry was a rookie back rower and made his Test debut at just 18, but now has 62 England caps to add to his three for the Lions.

Two years after that he was lining up in the 2019 World Cup final against South Africa in Japan with another tryro on that trip, Sam Underhill.

But that England tally could have been more and Curry, who has had a succession of injuries, including concussion issues, knows he must value every game he plays.

He added: "When you're young it's a gift and a curse in terms of everything comes to you so quickly and you always take it for granted.

"It's like, 'this is brilliant'. But then that's brilliant because nothing fazes you. You just throw yourself into the next thing. But looking back now, you can't take anything for granted."

Curry has been carrying a wrist injury since the end of the Premiership season and will have an operation when he gets backs home but Farrell has given him a chance to prove himself for the Tests.

Farrell said: "He's got a great opportunity. He's a machine. His work rate, his stuff off the ball is very impressive and what he does off the ball makes teams tick. He's so fit, so determined to have an impact on the game, especially with his physicality."