Lions finally sink teeth into Springboks
Updated on 04 July 2009
The British and Irish Lions ended their tour of South Africa with a record-equalling 28-9 victory over the Springboks.
Shane Williams scored twice as the Lions opened a 15-6 half-time lead and the tourists closed out a pulsating win with an intercept try from Ugo Monye while Stephen Jones kicked 13 points.
The Springboks had already won the series but the Lions ensured they return home on a winning note after their first Test triumph since Brisbane in 2001.
The margin of victory equalled the Lions' victory over South Africa in Pretoria in 1974.
Coach Ian McGeechan, who confirmed it was his last game with the Lions, praised his players as "outstanding".
He said: "They picked themselves up well. I mean, the dressing room last week was one I never wanted to be in, so to come this week, play like that, shows they're an outstanding group of players."
He added: "I was worried that they wouldn't play or might go into their shells a bit, but we didn't and we scored some very good tries.
"There is disappointment still in that we could have been coming into this one 1-0 or 2-0 up.
"So it's a satisfaction but a secondary satisfaction because we came here to win the series.
"I think it will be my last Lions involvement. I'd like to thank the players, they've been outstanding to a man."
Lions lock Simon Shaw was cited for alleged dangerous after the match, and will attend a disciplinary hearing on Sunday morning, where he will answer a charge of striking with the knee on Springboks scrum-half Fourie du Preez.
If found guilty, the Wasps lock could miss the opening games of next season's Guinness Premiership campaign.
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