Brian O'Driscoll and Jamie Roberts are the only fit centres the Lions have, at least until Gordon D'Arcy has acclimatised. It is as well they are fit as they were the likely Test midfield pairing even before last night's demolition of a side that buried the belief that South African rugby is more physical than anywhere else in the world with tackling that would have embarrassed a touch rugby team.

The concern for the Lions is that they may have to overplay the pair before the first Test, which is why D'Arcy was hurried out yesterday to add to the numbers rather than replace anyone but, if the (rank) Xerox Lions are representative of what the tourists will face up to in the first Test on 20 June, there is every danger they will go into the series undercooked like the Springboks, if in a different way.

When the Lions came to South Africa in years gone by, their hosts would look to soften them up through violent play. The softening up process seems now to involve referees with high tolerance thresholds when it comes to minor infringements and defenders who sidestep their way out of tackles, as four did when the 17-stone Roberts charged their way last night.

Roberts scored one try, thought he had grounded the ball for a second and played a part in three others before being taken off after 53 minutes, enough time for him to earn the man of the match award. He linked cleverly with O'Driscoll in scoring the opening try of the game after only nine minutes but he missed a tackle in the build-up to the home side's try at the end of the opening period and, like O'Driscoll, needed treatment on a persistent shoulder problem after the former Newbury second row, Bradley Mockford, made his one telling contribution of the game by clattering into a tackle.

O'Driscoll, shades of Jonny Wilkinson, seems to need treatment every game for a stinger on his right shoulder. Shortly after Roberts, who played in the opening match at Rustenburg last Saturday, had been replaced last night, O'Driscoll required prolonged attention after taking a knock on his affected shoulder and he followed the Welshman off the field, leaving the Lions with a centre pairing of Mike Phillips, making the shift from scrum-half, and Tommy Bowe, who had scored two tries from the wing.

The Lions need D'Arcy to face the Free State Cheetahs – a side which achieved the distinction of finishing below the Xerox Lions in this year'sSuper 14 – on Saturday, but Riki Flutey and Keith Earls remain doubtful with injuries sustained in the opening game and Roberts cannot be risked again.

The Lions have come to regret two mistakes they made before leaving Britain. The first was in the original selection when, by naming only two proven goal-kickers, Stephen Jones and Ronan O'Gara, they were never going to be able to give either a rest because of the need for place-kicking provision on the bench: that is why James Hook was called up when Leigh Halfpenny, a wing, was ruled out of the start of the tour.

The second was to opt not to replace Tom Shanklin when he was ruled out by a dislocated shoulder. Shanklin covered both centre positions and, though the reasoning for not summoning another player was understandable – they did not want to take anyone out who was probably going to start only one match – it was always going to be probable that the means to clothe the pair in cotton wool would be needed.

The Lions need to play Roberts and O'Driscoll only once more before the opening Test but the pity of last night was that they were not extended by a side that capitulated so abjectly. There were times when O'Driscoll was moved from outside-centre to inside, swapping positions with Roberts, but tactical nuances were lost on a side that had no appetite for battle and Roberts summed up the night early in the second half when he evaded three tackles on a 40-yard run and set up the position for his side's sixth try.

Playing Roberts and O'Driscoll left and right, rather than inside and outside, may be more profitable for the Lions but they are going to have to find out what offers their best option in training with South Africa going down the route of NewZealand in 2005 and not pitching them against opponents likely to over-extend them.