British & Irish Lions Lost Their First Test To World Champions South Africa

Last Saturday in Pretoria, Brian O'Driscoll (British & Irish Lions) has demanded that his team-mates hit the floor running in their must-win second match with South Africa.

O'Driscoll was a stable threat along with his centre colleague Jamie Roberts in the Lions' narrow 26-21 loss to the Springboks last weekend, and has acknowledged that they could not afford to claw back a new big lead at Loftus Versfeld. The host side raced in to a 26-7 lead at Kings Park last time out before a late rush by the tourists, but O'Driscoll knows that they have to play from the opening whistle in order to take the spoils.

"Some of the rugby played at the weekend showed some confidence and that we can play the game we want to. We have to bring that out from the kick-off this weekend because we can't afford to give them a 19-point lead and chase it back," said O'Driscoll. "We probably didn't play early enough last weekends and that was to our detriment. Hopefully we can play earlier in the first-half tomorrow, cut off the Springboks and make them work for their scores a little bit more than we did last weekend."

"Obviously we were hopeful to win that game but it's done now and we are out to win matches two and three, and it is as simple as that."

The Lions have bulked up their pack for the second Test, with their front-row ranks bolstered by hooker Matthew Rees and prop Adam Jones, while expert lock Simon Shaw has been called in to aid in the protecting of the Springboks' fearful rolling maul.

In spite of the focusing on the forwards and the increased power in protection, Lions captain Paul O'Connell believes that his side has to go out and play daring rugby if they are to secure a series decider in Johannesburg next weekend.

"We have to go out and play," he said. "That is when we have been at our best, when we have retained the ball and put it through the hands. That is when we have really put teams under pressure. We conceded a lot of penalties during the first 40 minutes last week. When you concede penalties, you concede possession, territory and points. We need to get rid of that."

The second match will be played at altitude, but the Lions have selected to remain at sea-level for their preparations. From their base in Cape Town they will head to Pretoria, hoping that the effects of altitude do not have time to take hold. The tourists struggled at altitude in their opening game against a Royal XV in Rustenberg, but O'Connell believes that they can handle the change this time around.

"I think we are well prepared. We had a very good period of time at altitude at the start of the tour," he said. "We've done plenty of training at altitude and we have every confidence in the doctors. It is not all in the mind. There is something there, but it is not massive."

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