The British and Irish Lions, battered and bruised emotionally and physically, have warned the Springboks that they will bounce back for the third and final Test in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Lions scrum coach Graham Rowntree said he gets the feeling South Africa think the tourists are "on the ropes", following their 25-28 second Test loss in Pretoria last Saturday.

"I think they will try and whitewash us, try and make it 3-0," Rowntree told a media gathering, when questioned about what he expects from the Boks.

"They think we are on the ropes, that we are down emotionally and physically and they will fancy their chances."

However, he warned that there is a lot of resolve in this Lions squad and they are determined to make a good fist of the final match of the five-week safari.

"Historically at the end of a Lions tour your squad are held together with a piece of elastoplast anyway, but we have been very careful as to the amount of conditioning and training and aside from injury we are still in very good nick and we have plenty in the tank."

He said one of the arts of coaching is to keep the team together when a series has already been lost.

"This [third Test] will test how tight we are as a group," Rowntree said, adding: "We gave the guys a couple of days of, following the weekend, just to get away from rugby, get away from each other... get away from coaches.

"We got them back together [on Wednesday], we will train again on Thursday and a light session on Friday.

"But it was good to let the guys get away from the emotion of that [second Test] defeat and let them have a good rest, because those guys were absolutely shattered, coming off the game.

"Now they have got a good spring back in the step.

"One thing we've natured on this tour is a great work ethic and a great bond between these players. I have no doubt they will up for it at the weekend and it's our job as coaches to facilitate that, train accurately and leave some in the tank for Saturday, look at what we didn't do well last week and what opportunities we've got this week."

He admitted it will be a huge psychological challenge in the third Test, but felt they have the personnel to beat the Boks.

"I think we have been very careful in the group of players we selected and the ethic we have been nurturing. Yes we were battered and bruised emotionally and physically after last week but I have no doubt they will be up for it come the weekend."

He said the Lions showed in the first two Tests that they are the Boks' equal, at least, and shared Bok captain John Smit's sentiments about just how "brutal" and "physical" the Loftus encounter was.

"I think [Bok captain] John Smit used the word colossal - a colossal test - that's a good descriptive word," Rowntree said.

"I thought it was physical, fast and emotional. That was just me on the sideline.

"That was a proper Test and a lot of people have referred to that game as one of the best Lions Tests ever - that doesn't take away any of the pain of losing it, but that isn't a bad compliment.

"Those guys gave everything to that Test and there was immense disappointment afterwards and we don't deserve to go home 0-3, that's what driving us on this week."

He said the feedback the squad have had from home has been very positive.

"I think people are proud of our efforts and people gutted for us. We lost a Test series by eight points in total - not by 38 - we gave it everything an I think that is known at home.

"You can look at the chances we squandered, particularly the first Test, and you can look at the mountain we gave ourselves to climb, 16 points in the first Test from penalties at the scrum and that driven line-out. You must take all that into consideration."

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