RUGBY LIONS TOUR:JAMES HOOK modestly deflected attention from his match-winning penalty that allowed the Lions escape from Newlands with their unbeaten tour record intact. Western Province managed to stick tantalisingly close all afternoon, drawing level at one point the final quarter, before Hook's definitive 50-metre strike sealed a 26-23 victory.

It was a brilliant effort in the dreadful prevailing weather conditions. The Welshman explained: “I was just concentrating on striking it well. I mishit the first one and didn’t kick it as well as I would have wanted, but the second one I got lucky and it went through the posts.

“For the second kick the wind was probably in my favour and for the first one it wasn’t. As I went to kick, it was still behind us and it went through. The ball didn’t really budge.

“We didn’t want to lose with the boys winning the previous four games. If we had lost the boys probably would have been a bit down going into the first Test.

“Things like this will definitely help us out in the Tests; we’ve dug ourselves out of a few holes on this tour which will give us confidence in the big games.”

Lions captain on the day Phil Vickery was quick to congratulate the Welshman and spoke about his feelings about leading the team.

“Credit to James. As soon as you saw the contact he made, you knew he had the distance. I think I can retire now,” he laughed in reference to his 100 per cent record as captain.

“Being asked to captain the British and Irish Lions is the most emotional thing I have ever done. It is a great honour and I was more nervous than I expected beforehand.

“The only thing that bothered me was winning the game. It was about making sure of that. We had to go out and win that game. We didn’t get it all our own way, and it says a huge amount. A week today is the reason why we are here – a Test match – and I just hope we go out and do ourselves justice.”

Lions coach Ian McGeechan chose to accentuate the positives on an afternoon where the Lions played, what their supporters will hope is, well within themselves.

“It was a good game of rugby and I am pleased to come out of it winning. We always knew this would probably be the strongest team we’d faced so far.

“Maybe we tried to play a bit too much rugby at times. It was blustery with a wet ball, which meant there was always going to be a high error-count. Our lineout and scrum is going very well and our breakdown work today was very pleasing.

“We could have had a bit more patience with our kicking game, but the attitude of the players and focus on the field when it is coming down to the wire shows how much winning means to us. But we know next week is going to be a different level again. There are going to be some tough selection calls.”

One of the more straightforward for the Scot will be pencilling in the name of Tommy Bowe on the right wing, the Irishman scoring his fourth try of the tour and also created another.

McGeechan admitted: “He is playing well. He’s a very strong runner and if there is space, you want the players to have the confidence to play.”

Western Province coach Allister Coetzee predicted “one hell of a Test series” between the Lions and South Africa. “The Lions are improving every week and are a quality outfit. They know how to pick up the tempo and it is going to be one hell of a Test series coming up.

“I am looking forward to it. It will be interesting to see how the Springboks handle the Lions’ rush defence; it is two real quality sides matching up.”

It was a view endorsed by the Bath-bound Western Province captain Luke Watson. “We have always known the Lions would have a great physical presence, which is a great tribute to Northern Hemisphere rugby.

“They have the ability to match the Springboks up front, so the first Test will be very interesting. Their rush defence rattles your cage and it is very difficult to get around it. It can put you on the back foot and the Springboks will have to take that into consideration.”