THE DREAMS, aspirations and commitment to a cause that came from the heart have been realised. First nurtured almost two months ago, when the 1997 Lions assembled in a London suburb to prepare for the tour to South Africa, those dreams came to glorious fruition on a foreign ground, appropriately named King's Park, in Durban last Saturday.

Before the Lions, an assorted collection drawn from four rugby nations, left their homelands, it was said that theirs was a futile cause, that victory in the three-match Test series could not be achieved.

But they never believed that, and their faith and confidence have been rewarded. At the end of a match of incredible intensity, which left the Springboks players and supporters absolutely shattered, Britain and Ireland beat South Africa to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Test series. It was a remarkable match, an unforgettable occasion.

A dropped goal from centre Jeremy Guscott in the dying minutes of a pulsating struggle won the match for the Lions and with it the Test series. Now the Lions will go to Johannesburg next Saturday in pursuit of a whitewash. A Test series for which the world champion Springboks began at five to one on to sweep is beyond them.

Rugby is still more than a profession; it is part of the very fabric of life for those who have upheld the Lions' touring tradition fashioned in the long ago. If ever there was a victory for courage, dedication to a cause and a refusal to bow to what appeared the inevitable, then this was it.

The thin red line in the famous red jerseys refused to capitulate before the Springboks onslaught - and onslaught it was, for the Lions spent most of this match in their half. It will add to, the Springboks' sense of bitter disappointment and frustration that they scored three tries to none and still lost.

The magnitude of the Lions' accomplishment is put into its proper historical perspective when one realises that only once previously this century had the Lions won a Test series in South Africa, and that was 23 years ago in 1974. Only once, too, have the mighty All Blacks won a Test series in this country.

When last Saturday the Lions had clinched victory there was more than a trace of a tear in the eyes of many - it was that kind of occasion - and I was taken back to that day almost a quarter of a century ago in Port Elizabeth, down the coast from Durban, and that historic achievement. I was extremely privileged to have been present yet again last Saturday to bear witness once more to an occasion that will remain forever vivid, a day for myths and memories, for heroes and history made by the rugby community of players from four countries, united in a common cause.

The scenes at the end of the match last Saturday were incredible as the Lions did a lap of honour to thank their faithful supporters who had travelled so far to give their support. And. when referee Didier Mene blew his final whistle, four Irishmen were on the field having shared in and contributed to a great triumph for unquenchable spirit, incredible defence, confidence and belief that sustained them when men of lesser character would have wilted. Those characteristics, and the superb kicking skills of Neil Jenkins, were, in essence, what won this match.

Never before had four Irishmen been in a Lions team that clinched a Test series. There was the indomitable hooker, Keith Wood; the resolute tight head prop, Paul Wallace, the man who was called into this tour on the eve of departure as replacement for Peter Clohessy; the Lions line-out ace, Jeremy Davidson, in the second row; and the youngest man in the Lions squad, 21-year-old number eight Eric Miller. He was called to the colours in the 79th minute, and in his few minutes on the field of play was to be part of an achievement he will remember with pride all his life.

And what of the world champions? Having lost the first Test a week earlier, they came out to throw everything at the Lions and that they did. They won more possession, enjoyed a considerable territorial advantage, scored three tries - and yet lost the match. They will ask themselves why for many a day.

They will find the answer, in part, in the fact that they had six kicks at goal - shared between Henry Honiball, Percy Montgomery and Andre Joubert - and missed the lot. But the reasons for this defeat go much deeper than that.

They went out to play a game in harmony with the demands. That, in part, was their undoing, for too often the indiscreet and impetuous action saw hard-earned ground lost by the concessions of penalties - in all, they conceded 17.

While the Lions scrum was sound, and they won the line-out 17-11, with Davidson again the main ball winner, the Springboks' forceful, driving play in the mauls and ruthlessness in the rucks had the Lions on the back foot for much of the match.

But after working themselves into positions where ordinarily they would expect to score, they found men ready to put their bodies on the line in defence of the citadel. Some of the Lions' tackling was incredible, none better than that of centre Scott Gibbs.

The Lions pack were unable to lay on the flow of possession which came the Springboks' way. For them, Mark Andrews, in the second row, had a really big match.

Outside-half Honiball, on the end of a good service from Joost van der Westhuizen, constantly kicked, or the forwards tried to drive on to open the defence.

Two penalties from Jenkins gave the Lions a 6-0 lead by the 30th minute, a scoreline not compatible with the territorial trend. By that time Honiball (twice) and Montgomery had missed penalties for South Africa.

But five minutes from the interval the Springboks got the break-through when van der Westhuizen found the gap in the Lions defence to score in the left corner. Montgomery missed the conversion. That try came after some magnificent defence on their line by the Lions; they had kept the Springboks out when it seemed scores were inevitable.

And it took a great tackle by Gibbs on Joubert to save the Lions line again just on the stroke of the interval, and so the Lions led 6-5 at the break.

One minute after the interval, the Springboks took the lead, and this time it was in fortunate circumstances. Honiball put a high kick to the Lions "25". Alan Tait had possession, but in trying to release the ball lost it to Honiball. He moved the ball right, the movement was carried on by Danie van Schalkwyk and he gave Montgomery the scoring pass. Yet again the conversion was missed, but the Springboks were in the lead for the first time, 10-6.

Indiscipline in front of their posts saw the Springboks give away a penalty seven minutes later, and Jenkins made it 10-9. But not for long.

In the 55th minute, the ground erupted when the Springboks scored their third try. This time Honiball set Joubert free on the left, and he evaded John Bentley's tackle and swept past Jenkins to leave his side 15-9 in front.

The Springboks sensed victory, but could not deliver what would surely have been the killer blow as the Lions defence stood firm. Gradually the Lions began to play more of the game in the Springboks half, with Davidson, twice the victim of dangerous play, gaining some invaluable line-out possession.

Jenkins kicked a penalty from 36 yards in the 66th minute, and added another in the 74th after Gary Teichmann was penalised. It was level, 15-15.

So we entered the final minutes, and in the 77th the score that decided both match and series came. Wood put in a long kick deep into Springboks territory. They put the ball into touch, Davidson won the line-out, and Matthew Dawson, who this time did not have the most comfortable of matches (nor did his partner, Gregor Townsend), threw out a pass which found not Townsend, but Guscott. He took aim and the ball sailed between the posts. The Lions led 18-15 and the Springboks were shell-shocked.

But the drama was not over. The Springboks, desperate to rescue a match that had looked won, attacked. A very dangerous ball was floated to the Lions' line and it was Austin Healey, who had come on for Tait a few minutes earlier, who was on hand to touch down to safety as the Springboks closed in. That was the last dramatic action of the match.

The Lions of 1997 had given us something which we can in the days and the years ahead tell stories of and glory in at having been present on a humid and historic day on a stretch of turf that lies adjacent to the Indian Ocean. What the Lions have achieved will reverberate across the seas.