Player ratings: Damian de Allende is the Boks’ rock again
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1. WYN JONES
Solid until his back went and cost his side three points.
Rating: 6
2. KEN OWENS
Scored a try and was denied another by a penalty, but it was not clear why he started ahead of Cowan-Dickie (or Jamie George).
Rating: 6
3. TADHG FURLONG
Someone of his experience should have taken more of alead, not involved enough.
Rating: 6
4. MARO ITOJE
The game's top carrying forward with 29 metres headed his side's tackle count, but conceded three penalties with his back row not firing.
Rating: 7
5. ALUN WYN JONES (C)
The heart of a Lion, the captain gave everything and more but, for once, it was not enough .
Rating: 7
6. COURTNEY LAWES
Another all-round display and his side's main lineout target, he carried and tackled but gave away the penalty at a ruck at the end.
Rating: 6
7. TOM CURRY
Conceded the penalty at a driving maul that costa second try. Touched the ball six times and made two tackles, too peripheral.
Rating: 6
8. JACK CONAN
Averaged a metre a carry, which for a side needing quick ball to stretch a rush defence was not enough.
Rating: 6
9. ALI PRICE
Some of his box-kicks were on the mark, but not enough of an attacking threat and his series ended with a knockon.
Rating: 6
10. DAN BIGGAR
His strapped-up knee gave way after ten minutes and after he limped off the Lions started running.
Rating: 5
11. DUHAN VAN DER MERWE
Safe under the high ball and a threat in possession, recovered from his brain fade the previous week.
Rating: 7
12. BUNDEE AKI
Gave away two early penalties and three points, but the backline's main ball-carrier only received eight passes.
Rating: 6
13. ROBBIE HENSHAW
A threat when he had the ball, but nowhere near enough for the Lions' back of the series.
Rating: 7
14. JOSH ADAMS
A threat with the few opportunities he had, but it was not a series for the wide men.
Rating: 6
15. LIAM WILLIAMS
Did not quite live up to his self-billing as the world's safest fullback under the high ball, his failure to pass to Adams in the first-half was a turning point.
Rating: 6
REPLACEMENTS
16. LUKE COWAN-DICKIE
Made an impact around the fringes and was the last line of defence for Kolbe's try.
Rating: 7
17. MAKO VUNIPOLA
He would have made more of an impact had he started with the Lions dominating possession before the break.
Rating: 6
18. KYLE SINCKLER
The Lions' bid for victory by kicking a penalty to touch was dashed when the prop was penalised at a subsequent scrum.
Rating: 5
19. ADAM BEARD
Chosen on the bench to compete at the breakdown and in mauls, but the Boks did not play a possession game.
Rating: 5
20. SAM SIMMONDS
Given 20 minutes, but only touched the ball twice and had nothing to work off.
Rating: 5
21. CONOR MURRAY
A tame end to his Lions career, he lacked hard runners to feed off.
Rating: 5
22. FINN RUSSELL
The game sizzled before the break when he replaced Biggar and showed how to exploit a rush defence, kicked his goals and almost swung it.
Rating: 8
23. ELLIOT DALY
Not used, which summed up his series
Rating: N/A
1. STEVEN KITSHOFF
Not the scrummaging force of the last World Cup, conceded two penalties and when he went off the set-piece turned South Africa's way.
Rating: 5
2. BONGI MBONAMBI
A few hefty hits and bustling carries were woven with basic errors, there were times he needed to think more.
Rating: 6
3. FRANS MALHERBE
Eventually got the better of Wyn Jones when the Welshman's back went, but still some way short of his imposing best.
Rating: 6
4. EBEN ETZEBETH
The glue that holds his pack together, ruthlessly influential and foiled many attempts by the Lions to speed up the game.
Rating: 8
5. LOOD DE JAGER
Topped the tackle count with 16 and was the Boks' preferred lineout target having wondered whether he would be fit for the series.
Rating: 7
6. SIYA KOLISI (C)
Only touched the ball once, but led the defensive effort which restricted the Lions to one try despite monopolising possession.
Rating: 7
7. FRANCO MOSTERT
Started out of position on the blindside, but may as well have had No.5 on his back throughout. No home forward covered more metres, although a mere nine.
Rating: 7
8. JASPER WIESE
Acclimatising to Test rugby, tackled and ran hard but conceded three penalties in the heat of the moment.
Rating: 6
9. COBUS REINACH
Reined himself in, only going on a couple of runs as he stuck to the script of playing only in the opposition half.
Rating: 6
10. HANDRE POLLARD
After a rusty start to the series he grew more assured and even indulged in a few tricks, but missed two penalties and gave way to a veteran.
Rating: 7
11. MAKAZOLE MAPIMPI
Looked for work but only handled the ball twice, exposed in defence and missed four tackles.
Rating : 7
12. DAMIAN DE ALLENDE
Second in the tackle count behind De Jager, no one carried more than his 43 metres, the Bok rock.
Rating: 8
13. LUKHANYO AM
Involved in his side's try with the second of his two touches of the ball, conceded the late penalty that briefly drew the Lions level.
Rating: 6
14. CHESLIN KOLBE
One chance, one try, the rainbow at the end of a long, unrelenting storm.
Rating: 7
15. WILLIE LE ROUX
One of those players whose mistakes are highlighted more than his creative touches, his run and pass skilfully set up Kolbe.
Rating: 7
REPLACEMENTS
16. MALCOLM MARX
As soon as he came on , South Africa were more effective at the breakdown. Should be starting.
Rating: 8
17. TREVOR NYAKANE
Arguably his side's strongest scrummager, won a crucial scrum penalty near his own line eight minutes from the end.
Rating: 8
18. VINCENT KOCH
Gave away the penalty which brought the Lions to 16-16, but at the very end squeezed Mako Vunipola to effectively clinch the series.
Rating: 7
19. MARCO VAN STADEN
Blended in without standing out, a perk of his side's basic gameplan.
Rating: 6
20. KWAGGA SMITH
Made a few inroads in his most composed performance in the series.
Rating: 6
21. HERSCHEL JANTJIES
Could have cost his side at the end by tappinga penalty in the hope of securing an extra few metres.
Rating: 6
22. MORNE STEYN
History repeated itself with his late penalty to win the match, the 37 -year-old would not have been an option were South Africa chasing the game.
Rating: 7
23. DAMIAN WILLEMSE
Hada couple of minutes at the end without troubling the analysts.
Rating: 5
