As a contest, this 2009 Lions series was magnificent, with so many highs and lows for both teams and individual players.
Morne Steyn's last-second penalty in the second Test certainly brought back memories of my drop-goal in the dying moments of the second game against South Africa 12 years ago. And I guess the Lions of 2009 now know how the Boks of 1997 felt.
The Lions deservedly won the last Test but that victory will also have brought out the demons of what might have been.
In sport, as with life in general, we don't live in a world of ifs, buts and maybes. It's tough out there, and only the strong survive. And on this occasion the world champions, South Africa, proved they were the strongest. But only just.
Taking opportunities when presented, as shown by the Lions in their last game, proved to be the difference between the two teams over the three Test matches.
But the 2009 Lions tour will still go down as one of the best, and all the players must be congratulated for giving their all in a fiercely-contested series.
Head coach Ian McGeechan was Obama-esque with his choice of words at press conferences and after-match interviews. In marked contrast, Peter de Villiers was away with the fairies.
But however successful this Lions tour was, there must be changes for the next to Australia in 2013, and beyond.
There can be no doubt that the Lions have a very strong future. But the tours must be lengthened, from 10 matches to at least 12 or 13, giving the Lions extra games in which to give the possible Test team a run out.
"McGeechan did such an amazing job on this tour that he should be part of the selection process for the appointment of the next manager and coach"
All provincial teams must include host Test players. It's not fair on the tourists and the tens of thousands of travelling supporters, not to mention the home supporters, to stage games against second-rate provincial sides.
One area of the Lions' game that suffered as a consequence of having under-par opposition in the warm-up games was the front row. The Lions were never really tested in that department until the Test matches, and by then it was too late.
I understand the host national coach might want to protect his squad from possible injury and to keep his players fresh for the Tests, but I'm afraid the host union has to respect and understand the history, tradition and commercial strength of a Lions tour.
All these factors, not least the last, should make it mandatory to field full-strength provincial teams.
If a nation declines, then the Lions shouldn't tour, although I'm sure it wouldn't come to that. South Africa and New Zealand crave these tours and would have them every three years if they could.
606: DEBATEWe sometimes forget that the southern hemisphere countries have to wait 12 years to host a Lions tour and some very good players haven't played, and won't play in the future, against the Lions, which is another reason to make the provincial teams as strong as possible.
It has also been suggested that the Lions should play four Tests, but that decision I would leave to the players - they play an awful lot of international rugby these days.
McGeechan did such an amazing job on this tour, as he has in previous ones, that he should be part of the selection process for the appointment of the next manager and coach.
The traditions and values were lost by Sir Clive Woodward in 2005, and Geech brought it back to what the Lions is all about.
Listening to the players talk of their pride in being a Lion definitely suggests to me that the concept can only go from strength to strength, despite another lost Test series.
And although this latest group will go down as the 'unlucky Lions', the players can hold their heads up high, because, like true Lions, they battled every inch of the way.
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