LIONS of a former era joined with the current generation of players on Saturday night to celebrate a famous victory over the Springboks. Understandably the mood was euphoric.

Former Ireland flanker John O'Driscoll, who scored the crucial try when the Lions last beat South Africa in the fourth Test in Pretoria in 1980, got as much satisfaction from this win as when he was centre stage 16 years ago. Willie Duggan, Syd Millar, Willie John McBride, Donal Lenihan Robert Jones, Ray Gravelle and a host more of great names of the past relived the glory of a bygone era.

The word "magnificent" was being used by many to describe the win. And that was the term Clive Rowlands, who managed the last Lions team to win a series in the southern hemisphere, in Australia in 1989, applied to the performance given by Ireland hooker Keith Wood. He was undoubtedly my "man of the match," said Rowlands. "Not alone did he perform all his primary duties brilliantly but he did so much more. He was the inspirational font in the Lions pack."

Wood, nursing a swollen left ankle, said: "I will be fit for next Saturday. "It was tough out there but then we knew it would be. I felt even with to minutes to go and when we were down by a point that we were going to win."

Jeremy Davidson, who performed so superbly in the second row and whose work in the line-out was so crucial, said: "I will never forget the experience. The atmosphere was electric. I thought in the first to minutes or so that we might be in trouble but the further the match went the more comfortable I felt.

Tight-head prop Paul Wallace, one of the men deemed vulnerable in the Lions scrum, put that suggestion to rest by his performance. "The intensity was incredible. The physical demands were immense. But playing in that winning Lions team was truly an incredible feeling.

There was unanimous praise for Davidson's performance. Lions captain Martin Johnson said: "We kept throwing it to him in the line-out and he kept catching it. Keith's throwing was also excellent."

But Johnson was not carried away by the win. "We have only accomplished the first part of the job. They hit us early as we expected they would, but we contained them. The win and the performance represents a huge lift for rugby in Britain and Ireland."

Lions coach Ian McGeechan described the performance as "a great reward for a great collection of players. When we had to defend, we did it very well. The further the tour progresses, the more our confidence grows. One of the most pleasing aspects for me is that how well we do when we have not got the ball, the positions the players take up and their vision. The defence was awesome on occasions. I would make the point, too, that only once were we penalised for offside in the match. That is a great tribute to the disciplined nature of the defence.

"The scrummaging was excellent, tight and compact and the front row justified our faith in them."

Turning to the performance of Davidson, McGeechan said: "He was brilliant. Not alone did he win on our ball, he was very effective on their throws."

Lions manager Fran Cotton, who with McGeechan was a member of the 1974 team that went through South Africa unbeaten, wore the smile of a contented man. "The application of the team was superb," he agreed.

Then came a promise from McGeechan: "We will keep things calm. We still have a lot of work to do and face a very demanding final fortnight. I have no doubt that the Test next Saturday will he even more intense," said the man who has now coached Lions teams to victory over Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The mood at the Springboks' press conference could not have been in sharper contrast. "We had chances we did not take, we gave away possession and made mistakes and we were punished for that," said coach Carel de Plessis. He and team captain Gary Teichmann acknowledged that the Lions had been the better side in the line-out and both paid tribute to Davidson.

"The back line was disappointing. The Lions defence was very good but some of our decision taking was poor. We are capable of doing better, but there is no point in making major changes," said du Plessis.

When informed that no side had lost a series in South Africa after winning the first Test he said: "We are capable of reversing that but losing the first game puts us on the back foot." Du Plessis is a man under strain and pressure and it shows.