Wing Shane Williams is Wales' record Test try scorer

Shane Williams is determined to return to South Africa and win a Test match.

The wing scored a fine solo try as Wales lost the second Test 37-21 to the Springboks on Saturday, having lost the previous week's first encounter 43-17.

But Wales' record try-scorer, who now has 43 in 58 Tests, has vowed to book a place on next year's Lions tour to South Africa and gain revenge.

"I'd love to be part of the Lions, I do really believe the Lions can do well in South Africa," said the 31-year-old.

Williams toured with the Lions to New Zealand in 2005, playing in the second Test as the tourists lost the series 3-0, and is eager to make coach Ian McGeechan's squad next year.

"With South Africa you come up against a great team with some of the best players in the world," Williams said.

"But with the calibre of players we have in Britain and Ireland at the moment I think we are capable of taking a very strong side out there.

"It will be difficult because not many teams go out there and win, but I'm confident the Lions can do well.

606: DEBATE "I think Wales achieved their objective today, they earned our respect" lamlee

"It's still a long way away. It's only next season but there is a lot of rugby to be played between now and then."

One of those matches is a chance to have a crack at the Boks on home soil on 8 November in Cardiff.

With the improvement Wales made between the first Test in Bloemfontein and the second Test in Pretoria, Williams believes they are not too far from their souther hemisphere oponents.

"I enjoyed the two Tests even though the results did not go our way," Williams added.

"The mistakes we made in the first Test were quite horrendous to be honest, and we were determined to not make those same mistakes.

"We had a lot at pride at stake on Saturday and the way the boys came out was tremendous.

"The belief was there even before the first game and we knew we just didn't perform well. The way we bounced back in the second Test was admirable.

"It was a massive effort and we still believe now we could have won that game, the score flattered the Springboks slightly but that is the way rugby goes sometimes.

"I felt I got involved in the game quite a lot. Bryan Habana works very hard off the ball and I was determined to have the better of him and I felt I did ok."

Wales coach Warren Gatland agrees that his side will only get better after their 2-0 series defeat to South Africa.

"You don't get better unless you play the best," Gatland said.

"The guys realise that with some hard work on and off the pitch we can continue to close the gap and that's desperately what we want to do."

Wales twice took the lead in Pretoria with Stephen Jones opening the scoring from a penalty and later Shane Williams scored a stunning try, the 43rd for his country.

But the Springboks fought back and late tries from Jean de Villiers and Bismarck du Plessis put the game beyond doubt.

The final score looked harsh on Wales as Gatland felt his players had salvaged their reputations.

"I'd be happy for us to be out here for the next 10 weeks playing the Springboks because it will only make us a better side.

"This is no disrespect to the Six Nations teams but if we'd been playing any of them today we would have won.

"This is a new level for us and we think we are only going to get better."

He added: "We don't want to sit on our laurels and say we can make the quarter-final of the World Cup.

"In three years time, we want to be reasonable contenders and believe if we can get everything right on the day and get a few decisions that go our way, we can beat anyone."