British press hails Lions' late roar in rugby Test

Britain's Sunday newspapers said the Lions had every reason to be confident of winning the series against South Africa despite losing the first Test.

The London press said the British and Irish Lions' late fightback shook their hosts and left them relieved to have come away with a 26-21 win.

The Springboks produced a crushing forward display to cement their victory in the first of the three-match series at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.

"We saw epic power rugby, gorgeous rugby (most played by men in red), controversy, and amazing last-yard defending. We had an epic finale and at last, something to do rugby proud," said Stephen Jones in The Sunday Times.

"But the Lions would trade the whole lot in for the one thing this dramatic afternoon in Durban did not bring -- a victory."

A late converted try for the Lions "would have sealed a comeback that would have rendered the return of Lazarus as something entirely predictable."

Writing in the same broadsheet, former Lions fly-half Stuart Barnes said the tourists had to produce the game of their lives to level the series next Saturday.

"The good news is they have the ability and, more importantly, the bravery to push the world champions all the way," the former England back said.

"The last 20 minutes proved the team have the mental courage, the skill and tempo to win; that if they start as they finished in Durban, they will prevail in Pretoria."

But Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England captain and ex-Lions forward, writing in The Sunday Times, said: ""The Lions didn't do what they set out to do.

"The Lions players will be feeling deperately frustrated. All they needed was parity in the forwards and they would have won.

"Their attacking game constantly found holes in the Springbok defence and everything we hoped for from the partnership of Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll came to pass. They were excellent."

Former Springboks coach Nick Mallett, writing in The Sunday Telegraph, said both sets of coaches contributed to their team's problems.

"The Springboks, besides looking at their defence, will also reconsider their growing habit of making lots of substitutions when they think games are won," he wrote.

"The Lions will have to rethink selection for next Saturday. They cannot make the same mistake of fielding Phil Vickery and Lee Mears in the front row."

The News of the World's Andy Dunn said the Lions were "Pummelled by the Springbok pack, shamed in the scrum, humiliated in the lineout.

However, "There is hope because of a fightback that showed spirit runs deep in this touring party," he added.

Patrick Collins, in The Mail on Sunday, said of the tourists' late flourish: "South Africa prevailed, and probably deserved to. Yet the Lions departed with heads high and jaws set in truculent defiance.

"Barely beaten in Durban, the men of 2009 may yet be on the brink of immortality."

But in The Observer, Paul Hayward said: "The essence of Lions rugby was on vibrant display, even if this result amounts to a missed opportunity to strike a result against the best team in the world before the circus moves to altitude on Saturday.

"To be brutal, the chances are that the northern hemisphere's representatives will lose 3-0, because the Springboks will not repeat their display of complacency when the Lions already seemed to be on the barbecue."