IAN McGEECHAN effectively admitted that the relevance of last night’s game as a quasi final trial prior to tomorrow’s announcement of the team and replacements for Saturday’s second Test fell victim to the vagaries of the Cape Town climate.

“I just feel sorry for the players,” McGeechan said. “We probably tried to play too much rugby in the second half which gave them inroads that we perhaps shouldn’t have given them.”

Asked if it had clarified anything for him, he replied, “One or two things.

“I thought the attitude on the pitch was superb. Conditions were always going to be a leveller and there was not a lot of rugby played, was there? So it was a game we just had to get out of, and it (the weather) was obviously a million miles away from what we want at the weekend.”

When it was put to the Lions head coach that his team were comprised entirely of Test players as against uncapped players, he responded in one of the night’s few dry notes. “You don’t need Test-capped players in a monsoon.”

Discussing the conditions, McGeechan shed little light on the outhalf debate: “Ronan managed it very well in that first half but conditions were probably slightly better in the first half and we probably missed chances that we could have scored.

“We haven’t won, but we haven’t lost either and that’s very important. The attitude was outstanding. It was actually a very strong defensive performance if you take the last minute away.”

Captain for the night, Ronan O’Gara admitted the players “didn’t really get the opportunity” to nudge the management thanks to the conditions. He may take some encouragement from being substituted after another of his good moments, and did do so from his team’s attitude.

“We trained yesterday for the first time as a team and combinations. Fellas were really looking forward to it. We hit the ground running and probably played well and expressed ourselves, but we didn’t kick on as much as we would have liked to.”

In any event, he admitted the Lions couldn’t quibble with the outcome. “We probably controlled the game, but fair play to the Emerging Springboks, they came back and caught us with a great try at the end. Conditions were difficult and we didn’t complete many of the chances we created with our possession and territory, so we can’t have any complaints.

“We would have preferred dry conditions to move the ball around and it was very difficult to keep your feet out there. At times it was easier without the ball and that was a pity because there were a lot of players here who wanted to put their hands up for selection for the Test side on Saturday.

“It was looking good for 79 minutes,” added O’Gara. “We just needed to win and obviously conditions were difficult. We never got 10 points clear against the Emerging Springboks and that was difficult. So, they came back at us and deserved the draw.”

Of his Munster team-mate Keith Earls, O’Gara said: “Attitude is everything in this game and that lad has it in spades. His willingness to learn is incredible. He’s learned from all the management talking to him. He’s a huge talent, it’s his first season in senior rugby and to achieve what he has achieved, I don’t think anyone has done that since Jonny Wilkinson or someone.

Emerging Springboks coach Dic Muir said: “It felt like a win. It was a game of two halves but the pleasing thing was the guts and determination shown by the guys.”

Captain Dewald Potgieter meanwhile said he had been proud of his side’s achievement. “I am not sure people understand what we achieved here today,” said Potgieter.“We only came together for four training sessions and it was a great effort from a bunch of special players today. It was really tough out there but hats off to the guys.”