BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | Lions Down Under | Player views

BBC Sport Online columnist Colin Charvis is proud of his two Test caps despite being pipped at the post by Australia but now needs a long rest to recover.

It was a difficult situation in the third Test.

When I went on we were trailing and I tried to make an impact on the game - as did everyone else who came on.

The Australian confidence was up and they took the game.

Apart from the banter that it was after my kick that the game went away from us - I was trying to be a wee bit too bold I think - it was nip-and-tuck all the way.

It was just a case of Matt Burke kicking those last two penalties, Australia got themselves ahead and we ran out of time, ran out of steam, and that was that.

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Sweet success: Matt Burke celebrates the Wallaby victory
Maybe another five or 10 minutes you never know - we could have scored or they could have scored, it was that close.

A lot of pride will stick in my mind that I managed to get out here with the Lions and I managed to get two caps, but very disappointed that we didn't come away from a series win because that was the goal.

Everyone was so happy after the first Test, everything had worked for us and by the time I came on the outcome was already decided. It was just great to get my first cap.

I've met a great bunch of guys, got on with a lot of people and I'll take that away with me.

The management did what they thought was right and we were bound to stick by that as players. If they think they've got a winning formula then it's not for us to question it, it's for us to buy into it.

Intensity

Yes, we came up short but you could give credit to the Australians for winning two games. They are a very good team, as is shown by their trophy cabinet.

I can imagine when we get home, maybe a few players will make comments about the coaching staff and management. That's up to them.

As 50 people, seven weeks ago we tried to buy into a goal and live by a regime that could achieve that goal - but unfortunately it didn't work.

Now it's home for a rest and I think the Wales management will be enthusiastic to encourage Swansea not to put us straight back into the fold.

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Low point: Lions skipper Martin Johnson sinks to his knees in defeat
Eleven months of rugby, especially the intensity of the past seven weeks, takes its toll. The other Swansea players have had six weeks off so I think it's only fair that we should get the same.

The Celtic League starts in a month but it depends how Swansea want to do, the same applies to the other Welsh clubs.

If they want to start playing their players early doors then they'll struggle later on in the season as enthusiasm drops and fatigue and injury set in. It's up to Swansea to be smart about that.

But first myself and Darren Morris have got some exploring in Thailand to do. We've set ourselves the goal of learning to scuba dive the five days we're there, then it's two days in Singapore.

It's a case of letting the dust settle before we go home. Both of us are very disappointed and in some respects I feel that I've let myself down as I didn't achieve all of my goals on tour.

But I'm looking forward to going back to Wales, to my club, friends and supporters, but more importantly to seeing my family again.