The physical scars possibly even outweighed the mental scars after Ireland's predictably torrid afternoon in Kimberley. Though the team hotel, with it's layered interiors, bears an uncanny appearance to a colourful and plush jail, in reality the squad's third floor might as well be an emergency ward.

The accompanying medical and fitness staff are doing overtime as the injury load mounts. Thankfully, Trevor Brennan's pinched nerve and Gabriel Fulcher's deep gash to the top of his head (which required a dozen stitches) looked worse than they were.

The Irish management will examine the video evidence regarding the latter, but in any case both are expected to be fit for the remainder of the tour. So are yesterday's other casualties: David Humphreys (groin), Ciaran Clarke (ankle) and Anthony Foley (ankle), as well as yesterday's injured absentees Eric Elwood (shoulder) and David Corkery (cracked rib).

As of last night, none were expected to follow James Topping, Jonathan Bell and Reggie Corrigan on an early flight home.

Amid the general abuse and delight taken at Ireland's walking wounded in Hoffe Park, it was instructive to note that the home team seemingly didn't pick up a bruise between them. Hardy hoars.

Taking the defeat on the chin, the Irish management didn't search for any excuses afterwards. "Well beaten by a better side today," was Warren Gatland's typically cryptic initial offering.

"We looked a little bit rusty out there. The scrums didn't go as well as I would have liked. We seemed to need about 30 minutes just to settle."

Estimating that "about 20 or 30 things" went wrong, Gatland said: "I don't think we lived up to the pace of the game. They played the game a lot quicker than we did. We didn't react to the variations in their line-out and the way they sped the game up, and were probably still caught out by a number of fundamental errors which proved very costly early on. And then a number of injuries didn't help us get some continuity."

Defensively, he admitted it was a disappointing performance.

"It was a tough game, a physical game and normally one the lads would enjoy but today we met a better side," admitted Anthony Foley. "I don't think the start that they got helped us. We were always chasing the game and you tend to concede silly scores when you're chasing the game."

Donal Lenihan, the team manager, maintained that "the strength in depth would be better than it was two or three years ago. I think we're making progress in terms of our depth at international level but then again I think we'll be in a better position to reassess the depth in our squad at the end of the tour.

"Maybe today was a step up on anything they would have faced before. You've young lads like Davey Wallace who we're trying to look at as a future number seven and it's clear that he has a bit to learn. But to have a side like that on the Tuesday before a first Test doesn't make it any easier.

"That side would be capable of playing the Lions, certainly on a Wednesday, and probably on a Saturday as well."