REACTION:IF NOTHING else, the last 30 minutes gives hope where none would have existed.

Clearly reflecting the theme in the dressingroom, Lions players emerged clinging to the belief they have the skills and fitness levels to compete with South Africa over 80-plus minutes.

Nevertheless, having come so close only made the loss more frustrating. “Yeah, big time,” admitted Rob Kearney.

“It reminds me a lot of how Ireland sometimes play against France. They take off and then we always seem to come back. It is frustrating but in such high-pressure games you just can’t give a team that sort of lead.”

Kearney had assumed a watching brief for the first 38 minutes.

“I suppose, being a fullback, you’re directly looking an awful lot more at the back three play as opposed to anything else, and I thought sometimes some of our pendulum work was just off slightly, and our work-rate could have been upped a bit.

“And that’s just down to communication and working a little bit harder.”

Blotted though his day was, in due course Kearney will recall his Lions Test debut as one of the more memorable days of his career. “It was really special,” he said of the dressingroom beforehand.

“You can never appreciate the moment when you’re in it but in years to come you’ll look back and think about it – Willie John (McBride) giving a speech before the game – I’ve never really been in a situation like that. It has to be (emotional). It’s something you dream about as a kid.”

Kearney and others all sensed the Boks’ players blowing palpably before the end, and while taking sustenance from that, Kearney added: “The lesson for next week is to come out of the blocks early, and don’t give them an opportunity, don’t give them respect and play the game we know we can. We’ve proved we can play an expansive game, that’s where our tries came from; we’ve learned not to be afraid to have a go.”

A frustrated Paul O’Connell maintained: “It’s going to be difficult but I think there’s still a lot of belief there. When we played how we wanted to play today we played very well, and we created a lot of scoring opportunities. If we hadn’t played well I think it would be hard but I think we played well and I think the guys will be looking forward to next week.”

A further, minor consolation, was how the Lions handled the Boks’ openside fetcher Heinrich Brussow. “We did quite well with him,” said David Wallace. “Certainly looking at him from the Cheetahs game we managed to neutralise him a lot more.

“He’s still obviously a threat and got one or two turnovers, but on the whole I think that area was much improved.”

Scrum coach Graham Rowntree admitted the pack will be embarrassed when they review the video of the three mauls which led to the Boks’ second-half try.

Wallace reflected: “I suppose sometimes you’ve got to stop these things at source. It’s easier said than done, but when a pack gets a rumble on like that it can be a bit demoralising but certainly it’s an area we’ll have to look at in terms of defending and using as a weapon.”

Initially convinced he’d scored on his first try-scoring opportunity, Ugo Monye maintains his two missed chances will not prey on his mind.

“No, it will spur me on. I know how crucial it is. We lost the game by five points today; if I do get an opportunity I’ll make sure I’m in the right position and I’m doing the right things to get over that whitewash.

“Tries are so invaluable at this stage, and the opportunities are so few and far between that if I do get the chance – and I pray to God I do – then yeah, I’ll make sure I take it.”

Springboks head coach Pieter de Villiers reiterated his explanation that he thought “the boys were looking a little bit flat” for his decision to replace a core of his frontliners around the hour mark, but did concede: “Maybe I did too much too soon.”

Their captain, John Smit, admitted that “lapses in concentration are certainly an area we’ll have to look at next week.”

While the first Test was all about generating momentum, Smit added: “but the beauty of a three-match series is now both teams are fighting, one to win the series and the other to survive.” Which about sums it up.