The British and Irish Lions kept their unbeaten record alive, when they edged a willing Western Province team 26-23 at a cold and wet Newlands on Saturday.

But for a few late penalties, the result of a substitution by the home team, the tourists may well have lost their unbeaten run on their South African safari.

Replacement flyhalf James Hook landed the match-winner in the 76th minute, the second of two penalties WP conceded at scrum time after bringing JD Moller on for Wicus Blaauw.

While the Province coaching staff will ponder what could have been, the game gave the tourists plenty of food for thought – with the first Test against South Africa just a week away.