The Lions achieved their biggest victory in South Africa since 1974 when they thrashed the Golden Lions 74-10, with a 10-try display that the tourists' scrum-half, Mike Phillips, predicted would make the rugby fraternity here sit up and take notice of a side that has been written off.
"We have been to a couple of events since we arrived and it is clear that they think we do not have a hope in hell of winning the Test series," said Phillips, who ended up playing in the centre after the Lions withdrew their only fit centres, Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Roberts. "They are quite arrogant and we put people right tonight."
Ian McGeechan, the Lions head coach, demanded that his players lay down a marker for the Test series after the spluttering opening performance in Rustenburg but he admitted that he was surprised by the margin of victory against Super 14 opposition.
"It is not the score I would have written down before the game and it was a very satisfying evening," McGeechan said. "We played exactly as we have been training and the accuracy we showed was particularly pleasing, as was the fact we kept going for 80 minutes. It has given us a good sight of what is possible out here. We know we have to lift ourselves to another level over the next three weeks and we will do that by the players feeding off each performance. It is up to those who play on Saturday to lift the bar again."
McGeechan said he replaced O'Driscoll, the captain on the night, an hour in after the Ireland centre had taken a bang on the head and shoulder. "Brian and Jamie Roberts caused a lot of problems in the midfield and there was no point in taking a risk with either of them," the head coach explained.
"Brian cursed me for bringing him off but the medics felt it was best. I will not be wrapping him in cotton wool before the Test series but I will not overplay him either. He will appear in a couple more games but Gordon D'Arcy arrives tomorrow and may be chosen to play on Saturday, while Riki Flutey is recovering well from a knee injury to give us options in midfield."
It was O'Driscoll's first appearance for the Lions since he suffered a dislocated shoulder in New Zealand in 2005. "It was a satisfying night," he said, "but we know we still have to improve and have a lot of work to do before the first Test."
