Rory Best had been due to lead Ireland on their summer tour to the USA and Canada © Getty Images

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British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland fully expects Ireland hooker Rory Best to make the most of his opportunity after being handed a late call-up for the tour to Australia.

Best was drafted into the squad yesterday after Northampton captain Dylan Hartley received an 11-week ban for verbally abusing referee Wayne Barnes during his side's defeat to Leicester in the Aviva Premiership final.

Hartley may still play a part in the tour if he successfully appeals the ruling but he was absent from the Lions' official farewell dinner at the Royal Courts of Justice on Sunday night. Best, who had been due to captain Ireland on their summer tour, will link up with the Lions today and will travel to Hong Kong for their first tour game against the Barbarians on Saturday. The Ulsterman is set to vie with England's Tom Youngs and Wales' Richard Hibbard for the starting No.2 jersey.

Best was considered unlucky to miss out on the original squad selection and following his promotion, Gatland has revealed how close he came. "When we picked the squad it was very, very tough. The decision on the hookers was by far the longest debate we had," he told PA Sport.

"Rory was very, very unlucky to miss out. One man's disappointment is another man's fortune and I am sure he will come in and do a great job. In previous tours, when players have had that chance they have come in and made the most of it. He has the chance to do that."

For Best, the news was the perfect tonic after Ulster's RaboDirect PRO12 final defeat to Leinster and he is now relishing the chance wear the world famous red shirt. "It was hard when I didn't make the initial squad because it is everyone's ambition. To now be selected is a massive honour," he told ulsterrugby.com.

"To finally be selected makes playing professional rugby worthwhile. All the lows that you get and the knocks and bumps, it more than makes up for them and for a few weeks ago when I thought that the chance had gone.

"There will be 37 players getting on a plane to Hong Kong aiming to make the Test squad and I am no different. I am as ambitious as everyone else. To be on the tour is unbelievable but you have to go there and play your best rugby, put your hand up and see where that takes you."

Best's Ireland team-mate Cian Healy also welcomed the news, commenting: "Best is a great addition to any squad and him being there will help me because I've worked with him before," said Healy, speaking at the Lions farewell dinner at the Royal Courts of Justice.

"He's an unreal player and fully deserves to be called up. He's a great guy who gets involved in all sorts of team stuff and is a good leader. I thought he would have been in the original squad but it was a tight call and there are a lot of good hookers there. I'm really happy to see him benefiting from what's happened."