Now that a few days have passed since the Lions nervy tour opener against the Royal XV, we look back and consider the possible impact of the game on the rest of the trip...

There are many different ways to look at the performance given by the Lions over the weekend. Although the players are taking a bit of stick in some quarters, I’m prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Lets look at the bare facts; the starting XV consisted mostly of guys who have never played together, so how quickly they could gel as a team was always going to be an issue. Let’s also not forget that many of them hadn’t played a competitive game for quite some time, so rustiness in performance was also likely to be apparent. Finally, we come to their opposition, the Royal XV. Although an invitational side, it was always going to be a mistake in casting them as easy pickings.

Many of the Royals have Super 14 and Currie Cup experience to draw upon; we’re talking about battle hardened guys used to playing on the firm grounds of South Africa, players who are more than willing to put their bodies on the line to repel the foreign invader. To use the most clichéd of sporting analogies, the game against the Lions was their cup final, so all things considered it’s no wonder that the tourists found things a little tough. Although the display wasn’t great, at least the Lions came off the Rustenburg pitch with the result, as well as getting some much-needed game time out on the park. Fitness levels will have improved now and at the very least, they can tell themselves that things will only develop and get better from here on in.

When looking at the performances of individual players, there are two men that stand out, for hugely different reasons. Keith Earls came into the game as the junior Lion on tour, so perhaps his stuttering display shouldn’t come as too much of a shock. Given a chance to shine in the number thirteen jersey usually reserved for one B. O’Driscoll, the young Irishman, with the greatest of respect to him, simply bombed. Four first half errors, including one which lead to a try, leave him with a massive task on his hands to get his tour back on track.

The coming days and weeks will prove a huge test of his resolve and character, but I remain confident he will pull through and come out the other side both a better man and a better player. After all, the management saw enough in him to both select him in the squad in the first place, as well as naming him in the maiden XV, so he certainly has the raw talent required. Mistakes aside, Earls stuck to his task well during his time on the pitch, never truly letting his head go down, so if he sticks to the same attitude then he’ll be fine. Whether he will have enough to gain selection in the Test 22 is another matter however.

The second player to stand out, but for much happier reasons, was Lee Byrne. The Welshman produced an imperious display from full-back, a performance which again hammered home why most see him as a nailed-on Test starter. Solid as ever under the high ball, as well as a rapier like presence when joining in with the attack, Byrne played like a man possessed. His calmness under pressure, when many around him seemed to be wilting under the Royals onslaught, was an extremely refreshing sight to see. His try came at a time when the Lions desperately needed it, providing a route back into a game that looked lost, as well as laying the platform for the ultimately decisive scores that followed.

You can begin to understand the drive of the man somewhat when you consider exactly what he is playing for. Now in his late twenties and after a relatively late arrival upon the international scene, Byrne is playing for probably his one and only shot at Lions glory. Whereas Earls can make another two tours after this one, 2009 in South Africa is likely to be Byrne’s zenith. If that is to be the case, then his performance on Saturday did him absolutely no harm at all and if he can carry that kind of form into the Tests, then he is likely to be a key weapon for the Lions.

Honourable mentions also go to Ronan O’Gara, who played calmly and with a great amount of control, as well as Tommy Bowe and Adam Jones. The fact that the majority of the Lions looked somewhat off the pace is definitely a worry, but the squad don’t have to wait long to put things right, with a game against the Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Wednesday evening. This is one writer who hasn’t written our boys off just yet anyway.

Here’s hoping for an improved performance!