Regrets? There are quite a few

IT COULD have been one of the greatest Lions victories of all time, in fact even a draw would have offered something tangible to play for in Johannesburg next Saturday. To lose that opportunity and the series as a whole to a last ditch penalty converted from five metres inside the opposition half makes the second Lions test defeat even more harrowing.

The concession of that opportunity from a reckless mid air collision by Ronan O’Gara will haunt him for the rest of his career.

It really was an incredible test match. Forced to finish the game with a combination of O’Gara, Tommy Bowe at inside and Steven Jones at outside centre for the final ten minutes after both Jamie Roberts and Brian O’Driscoll had become the latest to depart the arena in a match of savage brutality, the Lions fought valiantly to keep this series alive. The attrition level was frightening.