Lee Mears: Old Lions' praise has restored our pride

Lions Diary: The verdict from South Africa in the final instalment of our exclusive column from the Bath, England & Lions hooker

(PA)

That third Test could have been a difficult one for the Lions to get up for. If you win, people say it's because the Springboks changed their side. If you lose, it's 3-0, and the result no one wanted. But Paul O'Connell stood in front of the whole squad in the team room on the night before the game and said the way we finished would have a lot to do with the way the tour would be remembered. It was all about giving a good account of ourselves, and I thought every player involved did just that.

Were the Springboks 100 per cent up for it? They knew they could make history as the first South Africans to whitewash the Lions. They are proud as people and about their rugby and they didn't want to end with a loss in Johannesburg. Whether it was the World Cup final-like stuff of the second Test the previous week, well, probably not. But I thought the first few minutes were among the best I've seen in Test rugby, from both sides. Rather than playing territory and kicking, both teams tried to attack, full-on.

There were eight England players involved in this match, all backing O'Connell from Ireland who was desperate to lead a winning side. I think Phil Vickery had learnt a few things from the first Test but, as I've said before, there are on and off days in the scrum, and aspects which an individual can't control. That's why we all felt for Vicks after Durban.

Shane Williams's tries were brilliant. He works hard, he's never happy to just sit on his wing and he helped give the Lions a good start. That was what was different from the first Test. If you can make the South Africans play catch-up, you have a chance. On Saturday they got caught with knock-ons and a bobbling ball whereas in the first Test they were able to play the percentages. Don't misunderstand me, though. The Boks are a very good side. You look at how many first-phase tries they've scored against us, and they are talented finishers. They have scored tries wide out, too, and could easily have had another one on Saturday when Ndungane was ruled in touch.

They also made their little protest with the armbands and "justice" messages. The thought did cross my mind that they should have made it clear which of their two banned players they were referring to, because I think one of them might just have got a longer sentence. You take the rough with the smooth there, I'd say. At the final whistle, though, we shook hands with the Springboks and then we went around the ground, thanking our supporters. I hadn't played but I enjoyed that. The supporters are one of the reasons why the Lions is special. People from all the four nations came out to cheer us, even though for some there are tough times at home.

Afterwards there was a meal with the South Africans then the Lions players were out for the evening in Sandton. We had friends and family there, along with a few former Lions like Gavin Hastings, Ieuan Evans, Paul Wallace and Mark Regan. We hadn't won the series but some of the old boys told us we'd done the shirt proud. That was good to hear.

Keep fantastic tour alive for next generation

The question will always be asked about where the Lions fit in with modern rugby. I've had a whale of a time and if someone said this was the last tour ever, I'd feel sorry for all the young kids coming through. This was my first tour but guys like Paulie [O'Connell] who'd done it before said it was genuinely good the way all the boys went out of their way to make it work. Training was short, sharp and enjoyable and I'd never complain about the burden at the end of a long season. It's once every four years and the length of the tour is what makes it good for the players. It's not your everyday routine and I liked that. It was everything I'd imagined it to be, since the time I watched the 1997 tour video when I was at school. I think it's a must that the Lions tour keeps going.

Raising a glass to some Golden memories

I've got so many memories, so many highlights. Getting picked for the squad, back in April, running out in the red No 2 jersey for the first time against the Golden Lions, and scoring a try against the Sharks. And, of course, getting selected for the first Test. Very special. Our resident DJs Riki Flutey and Jamie Roberts kept us entertained, as did physio Paul "Bobby" Stridgeon (named after Adam Sandler's Bobby Boucher in The Waterboy) with his ever-enthusiastic singing. The Inbetweeners, Hangover and Californication kept us laughing. I'll be back to my club Bath soon, but I reckon I'll think about that in the second week of my holiday. Cheers.

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