Lions head coach Ian McGeechan insisted the tourists had "avoided a banana skin" despite only drawing in Cape Town.
Head coach says conditions were a leveller
Despite seeing his British and Irish Lions side held to a 13-13 draw by the Emerging Springboks, head coach Ian McGeechan insisted the tourists had "avoided a banana skin" in Cape Town.
McGeechan's side opened up a 10-0 lead after the impressive Keith Earls touched down and with Ronan O'Gara scoring two penalties and replacement James Hook adding another, they went 13-6 ahead.
But, with the final attack of the match, the home side drew level - Cheetahs winger Danwel Demas tainting an otherwise impressive Lions defensive performance by crossing in the corner.
That acted as a prelude to the game's dramatic ending, in which Willem de Waal - who had helped Western Province push the Lions close at Newlands earlier in the tour - made a brilliant touchline conversion.
Even so, McGeechan was keen to stress the positives of a match which was played in dreadful conditions at Newlands.
"It was a potential banana skin we have got through," he said. "It was a game we had to get out of. It was a million miles from what we want at the weekend.
"The conditions were always going to be a leveller. Not a lot of rugby was played there.
"It was disappointing to give a try away at the end, but I thought our attitude on the field was superb.
"It was a very strong defensive performance, if you take the last minute away."
Ambitions thwarted
The conditions did not help those with genuine Test ambitions push their cases ahead of Saturdays's second meeting with the Springboks in Pretoria.
O'Gara was one such example and, having been replaced by Hook just four minutes into the second half, the Munster fly-half was effectively competing for the number 10 jersey with Hook.
"The conditions were up there with the worst I have experienced," O'Gara said.
"We wanted to push management for selection for the weekend but we didn't really get that opportunity. We had to temper the gameplan.
"We needed to get one score further ahead. I don't think we felt under threat by this team tonight - but they came at us in the end.
"The mood is disappointed. There is a realisation some guys won't play again on this tour, and it will hurt."
Shane Williams, who has yet to score a try on the tour, was another who struggled to catch the eye - unlike fellow wing Luke Fitzgerald.
However, last year's world player of the year is determined to overcome the poor form he has shown in recent times.
"The hunger's still there. I worked hard enough in training and games. But it hasn't gone my way - and after last year, maybe that was the way it was going to go," Williams said.
"We should have won. For them to have drawn in the last minute is quite a kick in teeth. Maybe the draw was what they deserved in the game."
