Wales captain Ryan Jones was full of praise for his side after they went down 37-21 to South Africa in the second Test.
'We did ourselves justice' says touring skipper after second loss
Wales captain Ryan Jones was full of praise for his side after they went down 37-21 to South Africa in the second Test in Pretoria.
After the 43-17 first Test mauling in Bloemfontein, the Welsh acquitted themselves much better second time around, leading three times, including at 21-20, before South Africa pulled away at the end.
However, captain Jones was pleased with the improved performance from the tourists, feeling the squad had turned things around from the first match.
He told
Sky Sports 1: "It's been a tough week.
"I think we've done ourselves justice today. We've come out here and I think we've gone a long way to turning it around in a week.
"It's been two fantastic Tests for us. We've had a great two weeks here in South Africa."
Gatland proud
Wales coach Warren Gatland was delighted with his side's improved display despite the defeat.
He said: "I'm really proud of the performance. At 55 to 60 minutes the game was there for us to win.
"The better team won but there was a chance for us to put them under pressure and win.
"I'm very happy with the way we lifted ourselves after last week. We performed with credit today.
"Absolutely the scoreline flattered them. We missed a couple of shots at goal that at this level you must take.
"But ultimately the scoreline was irrelevant. What mattered is that we significantly improved our performance.
"This is no disrespect to the Six Nations teams but if we'd been playing any of them today we would have won. This is a new level for us and we think we are only going to get better."
Williams class
The Kiwi coach also hailed the finishing of Shane Williams after the winger scored a spectacular try in the 32nd minute, evading five Springbok defenders in a run that started on the 10 metre line.
Gatland added: "Shane is just absolute world class. He keeps getting better and better.
"Over the last six month he's been one of the form players in world rugby and he's proved that during the last two weeks.
"He's very accurate and strong. Even the South African fans get excited when he has the ball in his hands.
"I'm really pleased by the way he's matured into a fantastic player."
