"Although maybe it doesn't seem so to some people, we are certainly making strides forward," he insisted, almost daring his inquisitors to contradict him.

Statistically he is right. A year ago, England lost 32-6 to the All Blacks, so halving the losing deficit to 19-6 on Saturday was progress of sorts.

As the only Englishman to have tasted victory over New Zealand three times, Johnson knows that such claims have to be put into some perspective, however.

If the 39-year-old is already mentally on the verge of collecting his free bus pass, then by the time it gets dark at Twickenham on Saturday they could be metaphorically nailing down his coffin.

"The All Blacks are consistent in performance," the beetle-browed manager noted as he contemplated this week's visitors to south west London. "If we make the same mistakes, we'll be in big trouble."

He was certainly right on the first count (we'll come to the second later.) New Zealand may not have won a World Cup since 1987 and that will remain a treasured taunt for opposition fans and source of pain for Kiwis until a second one arrives, but they could never be labelled an up-and-down team.

Not the words of some excitable PR type, but a player who won the World Cup with England.

Such has been the growth in stature and quality of European rugby's showpiece club tournament over the past 14 years that Mike Tindall's remarks back in January barely raised an eyebrow.

John Smit probably put it best.

Asked whether Lions tours are still relevant in this professional age, the Springboks captain was unequivocal.

"Without a doubt," he said. "It has been an amazing experience from start to finish,
and I still think it is one of the most prized spectacles rugby union has to offer.

"The spirit in which it is based, the toughness of the games, the competitiveness of the series, how close it was at the end of the day...wow, there are not a lot of top-notch games out there that can provide what a Lions series can provide."

It struck him, he said, immediately the final whistle sounded at Ellis Park.

No doubt it will continue to gnaw away at the proud Irishman long after the dust has settled on one of the greatest, if not successful, Lions series ever.

"After we have got over enjoying this, we might be filled with regret," he said. "But that is sport. It can be so cruel...We could be looking at 'what ifs?' for a long time."

If the odds were not already stacked against his side before it started, they have only lengthened as each week of their South African safari has unfolded.

After the brutality of the defining Pretoria Test, the impending joust in Jo'burg will hardly be a walk in Ellis Park either, despite a much-changed Springboks side.

Wales flanker Martyn Williams has been giving us the 'behind the scenes' view of life inside the Lions' camp on their South Africa tour.

I will be speaking to Martyn again on Thursday afternoon, after the team is announced for the third Test.

So in the final week of the tour, this is your last chance to ask him any questions you may have about what has unfolded so far, on and off the field.

I'll collate the best of them and his answers will appear on the site on Friday.

Eye-gouging, along with biting, and kicking an opponent's head, has long been seen as one of rugby's three greatest sins.

So the outrage that has greeted the actions of Springboks flanker Schalk Burger against British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald in Saturday's second Test comes as no surprise.

Nor does the general impression that Burger, who received an eight-week ban after a lengthy disciplinary hearing, has got off rather lightly.

Whichever word you use to sum up the feeling after an extraordinary second Test against the Springboks in Pretoria, it was a horrible way to lose the series.

The ifs, buts and maybes will be debated for many a year, but the harsh facts remain.

This was a seventh straight Test defeat for the British and Irish Lions since that memorable day in Brisbane, 2001, and now a third consecutive series defeat.

So despite saying he "didn't want to make too many changes", Lions head coach Ian McGeechan has made five to his starting line-up for the second Test against the Springboks in Pretoria.

One of them was enforced with full-back Lee Byrne ruled out injured, but the four others were all done for specific "technical and tactical" reasons with the aim of squaring the series at Loftus Versfeld.

It doesn't compare with the way Sir Clive Woodward ripped up his original plan and made 11 changes, four positional, after the disastrous first Test in New Zealand four years ago.

But McGeechan has been here before. In 1989 in Australia, the only time the Lions have come behind to win a series, he also shook things up with five changes after losing the first Test in Sydney.

Jeremy Guscott (JG) was one of those brought in for the second Test in Brisbane, and responded with a superb match-clinching try in the decisive minutes.

I spoke to the England and Lions legend this afternoon to discuss how the Lions' team changes might affect the outcome this Saturday.

The Lions have embraced most of the challenges they have encountered on this South Africa tour head on.

The on-field ones might have escalated this week, but away from the rugby there remains one that no squad member fancies, despite encouragement from the coaches.

Forwards coach Warren Gatland and defence guru Shaun Edwards have both offered tempting bets to any player who can 'bring down' the squad's physical conditioner Paul Stridgeon, a former freestyle wrestler who competed for England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

So the 100% record in non-Test matches has now gone, but the 2009 Lions can still say they remain unbeaten against all opposition apart from the Springboks.

While there was disappointment at letting victory slip against the Emerging variety in the last play of the game, in the context of the tour it was merely a statistical footnote.

As Ian McGeechan noted afterwards, a "kicking game in a monsoon" in Cape Town is a millions miles away from what they want, and expect, in the dry heat of Pretoria on Saturday.

The mantra stays the same, even if the odds have shortened even further in the Springboks' favour.

Ian McGeechan conceded today that coaching-wise, South Africa have a distinct advantage this week in not having to concern themselves with a Tuesday match in between the critical first and second Tests.

But despite anticipating a full-on fixture with the feel of a 'fourth Test' against the Emerging Springboks at Newlands, the Lions head coach has not let Saturday's events disturb his perennially sunny disposition.

Grey skies and intermittent drizzle have descended on Cape Town since the tourists' return, but the outlook according to 'Geech' remains bright.

"You take whatever you can get in this game," said a beaming Springboks coach Peter de Villiers as he contemplated a 26-21 victory over the Lions in Saturday's first Test.

He had the look of a man who knew his side had survived an almighty scare, but was content in the knowledge they were unlikely to be as careless next time.

Make no mistake, this was an opportunity missed by the Lions, and the concern must be that there is no guarantee it will come knocking again next week.