Hong Kong (CNN) -- In energy-sapping conditions, the British and Irish Lions hardly had to bare their teeth to comprehensively beat the Barbarians 59-8 in the first match of their rugby tour to Australia. 

"It was a good run-out and what we wanted. It was a little tougher than the scoreline suggests," Lions head coach Warren Gatland said after the match in Hong Kong. 

"I think the scoreline reflected our dominance. I was genuinely very, very pleased with that today. It was tough out there. The players said (the ball) was a like a bar of soap with the humidity and the heat." 

In the hot and sticky night air -- the temperature hovering around 30C in the windless Hong Kong Stadium -- the Lions ran in eight tries to one against the scratch team of internationals that last weekend had lost 40-12 to England. 

Led by the normally dynamic captain of Italy, Sergio Parisse, who said the conditions were the toughest he'd played in, the Barbarians forwards seemed determined to physically test their opposition early on. 

Scottish fullback Stuart Hogg, the Lions' youngest player at 20, looked to get his tour off on a positive note but the beginning of a scything run a couple of minutes into the match was brought to juddering halt by a crunching tackle by Barbarians center Casey Lualala. 

Then after just eight minutes South African Schalk Brits, forgetting any club loyalty, sent a punch towards his Saracens teammate and Lions flyhalf Owen Farrell, earning the Barbarians' hooker a yellow card and 10 minutes off the field. It could easily have been red. 
Who got a yellow card?
Schalk Brits, forgetting any club loyalty, sent a punch towards his Saracens teammate and Lions flyhalf Owen Farrell, earning the Barbarians' hooker a yellow card