Matt Dawson: We have a chance of victory tonight

Matt Dawson

It has been an immensely difficult week for the whole tour party.

When so much time and dedication has been directed into one specific goal, the wind quickly leaves your sails when that opportunity fails to bear fruit.

Having reviewed the second test to the nth degree, I still maintain that the Lions do have a chance of victory today.

Without doubt the display that we all witnessed last week was special and the All Blacks quite rightly deserved the plaudits. But with a little more accuracy and the bounce of the ball, added to the effort the Lions players gave, the result could have gone our way. We showed in that opening salvo what we are about.

I would class myself an optimist, so trying to gather the positives out of the situation is where I have been focusing this week.

Tuesday's win over Auckland was the best possible start for the squad, as we soaked up the atmosphere in the away changing shed.

Over the last three weeks the midweek side have found a pattern that suits the personnel available.

Auckland were determined to fling the football from all corners of the pitch, which tested our resolve. However, with the experience of the forward pack and some wily tactical decisions from Charlie Hodgson and Ronan O'Gara, we had enough of a grip on the game that not even some, dare I say, strange decisions could affect.

The midweek group will have their very own place in Lions tour history, epitomised by the likes of Denis Hickie, Geordan Murphy and Martyn Williams.

To take the next step - or more like a leap - into the test match arena is mouth-watering, as this has now become a one-off game more similar to the autumn international we are all accustomed to back in Britain.

The result may not alter the history books too much, but for a Lion to be victorious is still a special occasion.

The selection this week has again been on form and fitness. Murphy has been one of the form players of the trip, along with Mark Cueto. If the back three maintain the blistering pace of last week but with a fullback of Murphy's skill, who knows what level he could take it to.

Injuries have notoriously affected every Lions tour I've been on and it is terrible for those who have effectively ended their trip. But one man's loss is another's gain, and several past Lions have become legends out of the shadows.

For some, including me, it will be the final time we slip the sacred red jersey over our heads and feel the honour of running out with the Northern Hemisphere's best.

Putting that into perspective sends a cold, yet hearty shiver down my spine. In my Lions career I have managed to win only three of my eight encounters. Not particularly impressive statistics, but those were three of the happiest rugby days of my life.

The fortunate few who carry the chance to be successful must, and will, grasp every ounce of fire, passion and energy left in order to spark a reason to hold our heads aloft on our return to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

With the Olympics coming to London, the nation will be buzzing with pride and anticipation. To join in the celebrations would be a fitting end to a historic week.

The knives have already been sharpened and the doubters determined to be proven right on whether this tour has been a success on and off the pitch. So to assist them in making their judgment, I can categorically state that the lads have thoroughly enjoyed one other's company.

We had some belting laughs along the way and will certainly have many more when our paths cross in our domestic seasons.

My halfback rival Dwayne Peel and I have organised our nights out in Llanelli and London and goodness only knows what will happen when Gareth Thomas brings Toulouse over in the Heineken Cup. They are the friendships that will never leave us and were solely created by the Lions badge and aura.

So this is it. Not the ideal position to be in, yet on reflection, a position millions of rugby players dream of - a test match in the Lions shirt against the might of the best team in the world.

You can expect the same unforgiving attitude we showed last week, with the new caps deservedly taking their moment and the game hopefully to provide a fitting conclusion to a monumental journey for us all.

* Matt Dawson is the Lions' reserve halfback for tonight's test.