Saturday’s clash with the British and Irish Lions is the ideal opportunity for the next generation of NSW Waratahs stars to emerge, says team stalwart Tom Carter.

The robust 30-year-old centre will be one of the few veterans playing at Allianz Stadium in a team deprived of 14 players due to Wallabies squad callups and injuries.

NSW had their stocks strengthened on Thursday, when captain and back rower Dave Dennis and centre Rob Horne were temporarily released by the Wallabies to play on Saturday.

While the Lions are expected to win well, Carter said the Waratahs’ Super Rugby victory over Western Force with 17 players out last weekend, proved they had greater depth than in previous years.

“The thing is we saw (young lock) Will Skelton emerge from last Sunday’s game as a genuine future superstar of the game,” Carter told AAP.

“I think it comes with these opportunities. People are able to show their wares at this next level.

“Hopefully Saturday night there’s a few more stars born and emerge.

“I think that’s what these games are about.

“It’s about giving people the opportunity to play against the best in the world and I think funnily enough it’s the young ones that do the best, because they don’t think too much about it..”

Carter, who has accumulated 83 NSW caps and captained the team against the Force, stressed the importance of not being intimidated by the Lions’ aura.

“Probably the most important thing is not going into your shell out there and backing yourselves to play and take it to them,” he said.

Wallabies back Drew Mitchell said he hadn’t detected any sense of awe among the Waratahs at the prospect of facing the Lions.

“You would think for some of these guys that haven’t had too much of an opportunity, that looking at it is a pretty big task,” Mitchell told AAP.

“To be honest, I haven’t got that sense from the boys. We’re building really nicely.”