This is no dour Scot - Lions team doctor James Robson © Getty Images

His medical updates, peppered with his favourite phrase 'in good fettle', are quite a draw due to the entertaining insight they offer into the foibles of the players - e.g. Lee Byrne likes his troublesome foot strapped a certain way - and his assessment of players under his care - "I'd like to stick a needle in his backside sometimes...He's a complex individual who is a bit like Austin Healey, is phenomenally talented and sometimes a bit irritating but I love him to bits." - The player in question? Byrne again.

When pressed on his admiration of Healey, Robson continued, "I think Austin was one of the most talented players I have ever worked with" - Cue sigh and rolling of the eyes from Healey's ex-Leicester and England team mate Rowntree and much laughter.

His latest epic briefing included the longest answer we have seen on tour. One of my colleagues from the BBC asked for some clarification on the rulings on concussions, as that recently suffered by James Hook. A full FOUR AND A HALF MINUTES of detailed explanation later he was only stopped by a round of applause!

"And if you want a more detailed answer see me after," he joked.

Robson's contribution was more than a fitting introduction to Rowntree's honest remarks about the Lions' showing against the Springboks the day before. He acknowledged that they had been second best and the players, in particular the forwards, would be 'very disappointed' when they reviewed the tapes themselves.

Before I left Durban I squeezed in a visit to Paul Flanagan in nearby Port Shepstone. The well-travelled former hooker, who had a spell at Ballymena, now runs a rugby academy. It was an all-too-brief trip but I got a great insight into some great work he is doing - stay tuned for more details.

While tour fatigue maybe setting in for some, it obviously isn't for others. I over-heard this conversation on my flight from Durban.

Lions Fan #1: "Do you find you're having to pace yourself drinking-wise?"
Lions Fan #2: "Well, if you call two days off the sauce in the last 25 then yes."

Reports in Monday's papers backed up the assumption that the Lions' travelling support have a mighty thirst.

Under the headline, "Lions fans drink pubs dry" Barbara Cole of the Cape Argus wrote:

"Emergency beer supplies had to be trucked in to pubs in Durban and Umhlanga to cope with the demand from Lions fans.

The report continued: "It was absolutely unbelievable. We were just not prepared for the onslaught," said a delighted Eleanor Gilles, manager of The George Tapas and Wine Bar. "The Lions drank us dry twice on Friday and I had to close the doors at midnight as we had run out after getting a re-supply at lunchtime."

Good old Brits abroad.

Another story I stumbled upon over the weekend centred on the subject of empty seats. There was a bumper crowd in at Kings Park for the opening Test but there were still plenty of unsold tickets.

It appears that such was SA Rugby's concern about the possible embarrassment that would accompany swathes of empty seats at the game that they were out amongst the local clubs on Friday night handing out free tickets. One source told me that at their game - all the matches were switched to Friday to enable fans to watch the Test - someone was handing out tickets by the handful.

The potential public relations disaster obviously triggered some desperate moves from officials but they are not the only ones under pressure. Fifa continues to press South African officials over the empty seats at Confederations Cup matches while the crime issue is looming as an even bigger problem with Brazil the latest to suffer at the hands of thieves.

I was greeted by rain on my return to Cape Town and the morning gave way to a grey, damp and miserable picture from my hotel. The forecast is for more of the same which my hinder any plans for an expansive game from either side on Tuesday night.