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As Ian McGeechan surveyed the broken bones and bruised bodies of a failed Lions campaign, he made a passionate plea for the most famous touring team in the world to be given a "fair crack" at ending the seven-game losing run that falsely portrays the best of British and Irish rugby as not fit for purpose.
The Lions have not won since the First Test of the 2001 tour to Australia.
The 3-0 defeat to New Zealand four years later raised serious questions about the future of the touring team but this South African assignment has confirmed the concept does remain viable if given real support by the four Home Unions.
The 28-25 defeat by South Africa - courtesy of Morne Steyn's last-gasp penalty - gives the world champions an unassailable 2-0 lead with only the Ellis Park Test remaining next Saturday and history will remember McGeechan's men as a team that let two victories slip through their fingers.
The Lions cause was hampered before they even left home with domestic and European competitions running right up to departure date and this cannot be allowed to be repeated in 2013.
They had to cancel their altitude training in Spain prior to this tour because too many players were playing vital club and provincial matches.
Just 10 games did not allow the Lions time to play their Test side before the first game with the Springboks because head coach McGeechan kept his word and gave everyone a fair crack at making the team.
The Scot did make selection mistakes, most notably at lock where he ignored Simon Shaw for the first match with South Africa and opted for two middle jumpers in Paul O'Connell and Alun Wyn Jones.
It was the same error Martin Johnson, the England team manager, made during the Six Nations and when Shaw was recalled, wins against France and Scotland were registered with captain Steve Borthwick able to concentrate on his natural game.
Putting Ronan O'Gara on the replacements' bench on Saturday was another mistake when the Lions needed the longer kicking and defensive tackling of James Hook.
It was O'Gara, who had taken heavy blow to his head which left him with a totally closed left eye by yesterday morning, who gave away the penalty Steyn kicked for victory.
The loss of prop Adam Jones, illegally barged out of a ruck by Bakkies Botha, was a massive blow because it led to uncontested scrums which saved the Springboks from further pressure.
The Lions were dominant in this area, in total contrast to the opening 40 minutes of the First Test, with Tendai 'the Beast' Mtawarira completely eclipsed by Jones, who has a dislocated shoulder.
Fellow prop Gethin Jenkins suffered a broken cheekbone, centre Jamie Roberts damaged his wrist, O'Driscoll was concussed and wing Tommy Bowe injured his elbow.
The Lions back line was torn apart by those injuries and the Springboks profited hugely, battling back to win the second half 20-9 and the series through tries by wing Bryan Habana and replacement centre Jaque Fourie.
McGeechan was still struggling yesterday with the emotional impact the defeat has made on him and said: "There has been a lot of credibility brought back to the Lions and the Lions have got bigger.
"I wish more of the people who don't want to make time for the Lions would come out here and experience a tour because I don't believe they understand the impact or what it means to the players. Just give the Lions a fair crack and then the Test series will always be meaningful."
The Lions remain a "brand" that is worth millions of pounds to each of the four Home Unions and helps keep the tour host unions financially afloat, although the ridiculously high-ticket prices instigated by the South African RFU was a disgrace.
Allowing the Springbok management to remove Test squad players from provincial line-ups also hurt the tour and this cannot be allowed to happen in Australia in four years.
If the power brokers who control the Heineken Cup, Guinness Premiership and Magners League agree to end their competitions early in a Lions year then the future is bright and the thousands of fans who travel the world will watch the Lions win again.
It could still happen at Ellis Park next weekend, but given the injury problems and understandable disappointment at having failed to win the series, the Lions are on course for what is an undeserved 3-0 whitewash.
Reader views (4)
ah shame the lions realy thought they were going to win the series. welcome to sa boys u just got bruised
- Ruan, kempton park,south africa, 02/07/2009 11:02
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Good article and difficult call re Lions future.
Whereas players believe in Lions and clearly gave everything for McGeechan, clubs and national rugby unions need to ask objectively "what for?" in terms of sporting advantage because there is none for the clubs and home nations teams in the professional era.
Beside the revenue which is healthy, there seems only disadvantage in cobbling together a scratch team in 5 weeks of your best but exhausted players, 30% of whom are going to get injured, some seriously.
To win the World Cup Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales
need to be able to play tri-nations teams every year with their best available national squads. A few players benefit from Lions but not as much as their national teams would if they were playing for them this summer rather than Lions.
Even if SH teams used to put together a composite team in the amateur era, they certainly wouldn't do it now, so why do we?
- Jim, London, 30/06/2009 11:45
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Are we seriously saying all these clubs should prejudice their own finances and players just for three matches. As it was key players were put on hold not knowing whether they were selected or not until the final moments.Talk about the Mad Hatters Tea Party with a will they wont they go to the Ball.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey, 29/06/2009 10:37
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O'Gara - What were you thinking?
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants, 29/06/2009 10:21
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