The plaudits are coming thick and fast for the British and Irish Lions after Saturday night's 42-8 demolition of Super 12 semi-finalists the Queensland Reds at Ballymore.

The game was the first big test for the touring Lions after two ridiculously easy encounters. But the ridiculous ease with which they disposed of the Reds has many Australia fans fidgeting for the panic button. Not least some bookmakers who have now put the Lions on equal favouritism with the Wallabies for the three-Test series.

Many thought Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen and captain John Eales were just talking up the Lions when the squad was announced. But it's now a growing list of agreement for Macqueen's description of the Lions as the best squad to arrive in Australia for many years.

The Lions meet the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday and coach Bob Dwyer is working overtime to come up ways to overcome the rampaging tourists.

"There have been many plaudits for the Lions so far, but none more significant than to say that their urgency and support for the ball-carrier is superb," Dwyer wrote in his column for London's Sunday Times. "No All Black side has ever done it better. They leave no chance for the ball-carrier to be caught unsupported and surrender the ball.

"The speed of recycling is eye-catching, the speed of realignment all but unique and, with the accuracy of the passing and catching, it means that defences have absolutely no respite, as Queensland found to their cost in the first half."

Reds and Wallaby outside-centre Daniel Herbert is quite confident this Lions squad will provide the Wallabies with their toughest test for several years.

"They are living up to that reputation in that they are possibly the best team the Wallabies will have faced in a number of years," Herbert told AAP. "New Zealand had quite a dominance five or six years ago and South Africa had a record 17 straight wins (in 1998) and were quite unbeatable at that time.

"They were teams that you hoped to win against but you didn't think you probably would win. The Wallabies have become one of those teams but I don't think we've faced a team over the last 12 months as good as the British Lions."