JAMIE Roberts insisted the 2009 British and Irish Lions are capable of making history by coming back from 1-0 down to win the Test series against South Africa.

No Lions team has ever won a series in South Africa having lost the first Test and Ian McGeechan's men have a mountain to climb if they are to become the first.

The Lions were on the receiving end of a crushing forward display for the best part of an hour and fell 26-7 down early in the second half.

Roberts was a key figure as the Lions staged a spirited late comeback, but in the end it was too little too late and they went down 26-21 in Durban.

But Roberts warned South Africa that whatever history may suggest, the Test series is not over.

"I am absolutely gutted with that result today, but there is a massive belief among the boys that we can win next Saturday and the series is far from lost," he said.

"The dressing room was a pretty disappointing place in the end of the game. We will look back at the game over the next couple of days and realise happily we could have won that match.

"Next Saturday can't come soon enough for the boys."

The Lions were penalised heavily at the scrum, with Phil Vickery given a torrid time by Tendai 'The Beast' Mtawarira, who was named man of the match.

But they did outscore the Springboks three tries to two - with Tom Croft scoring twice and Mike Phillips darting over next to the posts - and could have had three more.

Ugo Monye was denied once by a the television official and once by a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Morne Steyn, while Phillips knocked on as he stretched one-handed for the line.

"I thought some of the rugby we played was world-class," said Roberts, whose midfield partnership with Brian O'Driscoll caused the Springboks all sorts of problems.

"We really played in their faces and played some fantastic rugby and we are going to have to do that again next Saturday.

"We got over the line three times, but did not manage to get the ball down.

"We will take a lot of pride from that second-half performance because we went in at half-time facing an uphill battle and a cricket score.

"Credit to the boys for coming back and showing what we are worth especially in the last 20 minutes."

Croft became the first Lions player to score two tries in a Test against South Africa since JJ Williams.

The Leicester flanker sensed panic in the Springbok ranks as the Lions staged their late fightback - and he said the challenge now is to start with all guns blazing next weekend.

"I spoke to Heinrich Brussow after the game. He was on the bench at the end and he said he was panicking," said Croft.

"They managed to close the game out so they are a class team, but we have what it takes to beat them and the key next week is to create that sense of panic from the off."