Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen has paid tribute to his players' and management's resilience during a gruelling three-match tour that tested the team emotionally as much as physically.

But the results told only part of the story of a tour that began with the death of lock Hyron Andrews on the eve of their Champions Cup match against La Rochelle.

Van Rooyen admitted that the tragedy had taken a heavy toll on the squad, particularly during the build-up to their second match against Edinburgh.

“It was an incredibly difficult tour in the bigger scheme of things. We are proud of the character we showed during the La Rochelle and Glasgow games,” he said.

“The Edinburgh game week was exceptionally tough mentally, and unfortunately it showed a bit in the game.”

The Lions lost 31-14 to La Rochelle before suffering another defeat against Edinburgh, but showed considerable fighting spirit in Glasgow after initially looking in danger of a heavy loss.

Their task was made even harder by the early departure of flyhalf Chris Smith, who suffered a chest injury.

“Unfortunately, there’s no update as yet. His chest area is quite sore. We will do scans when we get home,” Van Rooyen said.

The Lions looked second-best for much of the first half against Glasgow, but produced a spirited second-half comeback that brought them within touching distance of an unlikely victory.

“The character we showed to fight back in the second half was great to see,” Van Rooyen said.

“We found a way to start playing against a very organised defence by generating quick ball. We struggled to get that in the first half.

“At half-time, we identified that we had to fix a few aspects for us to start getting quick ball. There was space out there; we just couldn’t get to it in the first half.

“It was important for us to try to stamp our game on them. We also needed to be better in one or two things in defence.”

Van Rooyen reserved particular praise for the senior players, who stepped up to provide leadership and direction during the final week of the tour.

“Heading into the week of Glasgow, the senior players were immense in terms of team identity and playing style, taking ownership and leading by example,” he said.

He was equally appreciative of the work done behind the scenes by the management team throughout an extraordinarily difficult three weeks.

“Throughout the tour, I honestly believe the management was unbelievable. We are truly blessed to have incredible people in our team.

“The heart and the character to stand up and fight for each other was incredible.”

The Lions will now take a two-week break before beginning preparations for their next URC assignment, the Johannesburg derby against the Bulls at Ellis Park on December 5.

“We are going to rest for two weeks, then straight into two weeks of preparation before we take on the Bulls in early December,” Van Rooyen said.