Duncan Casey: South Africa’s secret weapon? Winning the perception battle

To me, the big, game-defining moments came in the form of penalties to South Africa at the scrum in the final quarter, after the entry of Trevor Nyakane

MIND GAMES MASTER: South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus is about to face the wrath of World Rugby for his unprecedented attack on the officials from the first Test. However, it could be argued that such tactics worked to the benefit of his side. Picture: David Rogers/Getty Images

At last, we got a real game of rugby. The final Test of the Lions series on Saturday had it all. Maul tries, scrum penalties, and huge hits up front; deft handling, beautiful kicking, and individual brilliance behind. After two games that did more to underline the problems facing elite rugby than showcase its value as a spectator sport, fans got what they had hoped against hope might be delivered — a proper game of ball.

My own enjoyment of the game was heightened by the fact I watched it seated behind 14 South Africans in an Irish bar in Ghent (well worth a visit, if you ever get the chance). They had just finished cycling 229km from Amsterdam, their adopted European home, and were rewarding themselves with pints of Guinness and shorts of brandy as they settled in to get a taste of home, 12,000km away.