Mini-crisis? What mini-crisis? As Donal Lenihan ventured afterwards, there are moments in a tour which become defining and while there will undoubtedly be bigger moments on tour at least this first crisis of sorts was dealt with as positively as he and the rest of the management could possibly have hoped for.

"There are three or four important moments on every tour and at half-time there was an important moment on this tour, but the team didn't panic. They showed the character to come back and do what they did," said Lenihan. It must have been quite a half-time cuppa. Accepting "things didn't look too rosy" then, Graham Henry revealed: "We talked about accuracy, we talked about field position, we talked about getting our heads up and overcoming the humidity and warmth, which we're not used to, and the players were very good. They talked amongst themselves, about what we were doing at line-outs and about playing as a team rather than individuals. Collectively, the players and the coaches were reasonably accurate at half-time, which was very helpful."

The competition for Test places has been emphasised by the management and Henry conceded they may have been to blame for the players' individuality in the first-half. "You can't play well as an individual unless the team plays well and we didn't quite get that message right pre-game, but we got it right at half-time."

Unsurprisingly, Henry agreed yesterday's win was eminently more satisfying than the 106-point victory over Western Australia. This was "much stronger opposition and we played the best half of the two games in the second half today, obviously. So that was a pleasing step but I think everyone is aware there's still a long way to go."

Tellingly, perhaps, the coach of the Queensland President XV, Peter Grigg looked a little stunned. "No excuses, they were the better team. The sun will come up tomorrow." Observing that competition for Test places will be paramount to the success of the Lions test side, Grigg was obliged to observe: "barring injuries, they'll be a very lethal side."

Joking that his kick and chase was an attempted drop kick, Rob Henderson said: "In the second-half, some of the tries we scored were excellent team tries and I don't think it matters whose name was on them, but the fact we didn't concede any was a big point as well."

Jason Robinson, whose five tries was one short of the all-time Lions' record held by David Duckham and JJ Williams, held court to his admiring English media (and who can blame them?) and admitted he had a bit of a rusty first half. `'I'm there to finish; the gaps are down to the work of the boys inside. I'm not getting carried away and I can't actually believe I've scored five tries. But I've got to keep my feet on the ground," he said and then reflecting on how Scott Fava had speared him skyward and down again, he added: "especially after being upended like that in the first-half."

It was confirmed hooker Robin McBryde had sustained "a haematoma in the quadraceps muscle" - internal bleeding in the thigh, or a bruise, to you and I. "The doc is reasonably positive about it," said Henry. There were other knocks to Scott Murray (blurred vision), Rob Henderson (bang neck), Matt Dawson (calf strain) and Austin Healey, whose bang on the ribs required attention three times, but none were expected to be ruled out of contention for Saturday.

In addition to Lawrence Dallaglio, inching his way back to full fitness, and Phil Greening (who will be assessed next week), Donal Lenihan confirmed Mike Catt's tour start will be delayed until Tuesday's game against Australia A.

The team for that game will be confirmed today and Henry must now be eager to try out Robinson in a potential Test back three with Iain Balshaw and Dan Luger. Hence, the team could read something like this: Balshaw; Robinson, O'Driscoll, Taylor, Luger; Wilkinson, Healy or Howley; Leonard, Wood, Vickery, Johnson, Murray or Grewcock, Hill, Quinnell, Back.

Henry handed out garlands all round but countered this by saying the next three games, or next week and a half, would be another step up. "This was a reasonably positive step on the tour but we know Saturday is going to be huge against Queensland, who are one of the best Super 12 sides in that competition." We're entering the meat of the tour.