Kiwi Gatland launched the attack on his side in the aftermath of their defeat at the hands of South Africa last week – insisting the Welsh players were too happy to let their southern hemisphere teammates take the lead at club level.

Wales will travel to New Zealand without established faces Martyn Williams, Gethin Jenkins and Shane Williams and have also lost back rowers Andy Powell and Sam Warburton.

But Byrne insists Gatland can rely on him to stand up and be counted in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

“With our back three being quite young it would be nice for me to take a bit of a leadership role being someone who has been on a Lions tour,” he said. “But I think we have a lot of leaders in this squad.

“We know what a top side New Zealand are, you can’t take anything away from them.

“But it would be good for our guys to step up this tour, and I think we will.”