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Character of Lions hailed by Matfield
Victor Matfield has hailed the British and Irish Lions' "character" after their gripping first Test fightback against South Africa.
And Springboks lock Matfield expects another fierce encounter when the teams meet again at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria next Saturday, a ground where South Africa boast a 71% success-rate.
The stakes will he higher than in Durban, with South Africa knowing victory would secure Test series glory one game inside the distance, while the Lions must win to set up a Johannesburg decider seven days later.
The Lions' 26-21 Durban defeat means they have now gone seven Tests without success, a series of results stretching back to Australia in 2001.
The prospect of a second whitewash in a row following their 3-0 drubbing at New Zealand's hands four years ago cannot be discounted - but Matfield is braced for a punishing battle.
"It's going to be tougher next week, definitely," he said. "We will have to focus more and work harder.
"I think they will take a lot of confidence out of their second-half performance, and they will feel they can play much better."
It looked bleak for the Lions at 26-7 adrift, but late converted tries by flanker Tom Croft - his second of the game - and scrum-half Mike Phillips set up a pulsating finale.
Matfield added: "We made silly mistakes, letting them into our half and giving them opportunities, but also they kept the ball very well and they put us under pressure.
"The Lions weren't going to lie down and let us get a big victory. They fought back, and with seconds to go they were still in the game and could still have won it.
"That shows their character, and for us to play against them was a brilliant experience.
England lost out in two rugby union finals yesterday.England Saxons were beaten 49-22 by Ireland A in the Churchill Cup Final in Denver whilst England U20s were beaten 44-28 by New Zealand in the Junior World Championships Final in Tokyo.
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