It took me some time to settle down after being told I would be making my first appearance in a Lions Test after 12 years of wondering if it was ever going to happen.

Despite having played in a World Cup Final, winning Heineken Cups and Premiership finals, I found myself with knots in my stomach, not being able to sleep last night and feeling light-headed.

I have never been affected like that and it's bizarre to feel this way late on in my career because I didn't experience anything like this building up to that 2007 World Cup Final against South Africa.

It was as if my body went into overload and wanted me to play the game last night but I have got everything nice and settled now and will adopt my normal pre-match routine and get the best out of myself tomorrow.

For some reason, I have just kept thinking during my career I would get that first Lions Test appearance.

Over the years, I have seen the unexpected affect selection such as illness, injury or even a ban, which is what happened to my room-mate Nathan Hines this week.

Of course, you don't hope something like that happens but a little bit of luck in your favour can create a huge opportunity. When Nathan came back from the hearing, I said: "Bad luck mate" and he just congratulated me on my selection, despite it being an awkward situation as we are both second-rows.

I don't think I had ever spoken to Nathan before the tour and now we are sharing a bathroom! Clive Woodward introduced a system with England which meant that you shook the hand of the guy who got picked ahead of you and it didn't really take off.

However, on this tour that has evolved naturally because of the great team spirit. Every one of the other second-rows came up and shook my hand after the team was announced and it shows just how much we are backing each other.

After being told I was playing, I sent texts to my wife, Jane, and my mother and father. I didn't hear from my parents, who are here in South Africa but on safari north of Durban.

They must have been out of mobile range as they are usually straight back with a "hooray" or a "we still love you" if it hasn't been great news! They will be at the Test in Pretoria.

Jane couldn't wait to speak to me but I was out with the players for a squad meal and it wouldn't have been very good form to depart to speak to your wife about how excited you are about making a first Test appearance when there are guys who are gutted at not being involved.

I knew how they were feeling and it's total misery. As a family, Jane and I made the decision that with three young children it wouldn't be feasible to have everyone out here, particularly with the travelling.

Jane will get someone to help look after the children tomorrow so that she can sit down to concentrate on watching the Test on television at home. Normally, she has to record the matches and watch them when the children have gone to bed.

There are lots of great characters on the tour and I will be packing down behind certainly the hairiest in Adam Jones.

It's a mystery to me why he keeps his hair so long but having seen pictures of when it was plaited and looked bloody awful, leaving it free-flowing is a much better option.

There are seven Irish players, six Welsh plus me and Tom Croft from England. Until I was told those figures, I didn't even register the various contingents.

The way we have gelled means we feel like a single team, not players from different parts of Britain and Ireland.

It has been a hell of a journey and a lot of hard work has gone into getting me to South Africa as part of the squad.

That is why I am so chuffed to bits. I thought my form - off the bench - had been good enough against the Sharks and the Emerging Springboks to get on the replacements' list for tomorrow, so to make the team was fantastic.

Every time I have had a knock-back from selectors I have built myself back up and playing a first Test for the Lions isn't the conclusion of anything because we have to win to make next week's clash a decider.