McGeechan: Lions only have themselves to blame

British & Irish Lions legend Sir Ian McGeechan believes Warren Gatland’s men realised their potential in the third and final Test but have only themselves to blame for the loss of the series to the World Champion Springboks. 

In his column for the Telegraph, the 74 year-old wrote: 

"This was comfortably the best rugby the Lions have played, and in what was the most pressurised position. 

"Yet a lack of ruthlessness let the Lions down. Nowhere was that better demonstrated than after 27 minutes when Williams and Adams had a two-on-one down the right-hand touchline, yet instead of giving the try-scoring pass Williams instead ran into contact. 

"Contrast that with Willie Le Roux, who drew Jack Conan and then released Cheslin Kolbe before the wing skipped past Williams and Luke Cowan-Dickie to complete a virtuoso breakaway try. 

"Those two moments encapsulated the difference between the two sides. 

"There will also be questions about Alun Wyn Jones' decision to spurn three kickable first-half penalties and one with 10 minutes to go and instead go for broke in the corner. 

"Because the first worked and led to a lineout drive try for Ken Owens, I'd have persisted with a second attempt, but when that failed it would have made sense to go for the points because it was imperative to keep the scoreboard ticking over, to punish the Springboks' transgressions and to ram home the Lions' advantage. 

"The penalty with ten minutes to go that was kicked to the corner instead of being turned into three easy points was a particularly costly missed opportunity. That would have made it 16-16 and was a potentially game-changing decision. 

"With Finn Russell kicking like a dream, the Lions left nine points out there. Take that together with the butchered chance for Williams and Adams, and that is the game in a nutshell. 

"I also think that a large part of this last Test change of tack came by chance as a result of Biggar's injury. 

"Russell had an immediate impact when he came on and got the Lions on the front foot as soon as he got his hands on the ball. By putting the ball into the hands of onrushing forwards targeting the space between defenders, he encouraged them to offload to keep moves going. 

"The result was that there were more offloads from Lions forwards in the half an hour after he came on than there was in the previous two Tests. 

"The Lions will never get a better opportunity to win in South Africa. As I know only too well, this one will sting for the next 12 years."