South Africa lock Victor Matfield revealed the Boks would not have been able to pull off their demolition job on the Lions scrum if Scottish prop Euan Murray had started.

Murray had to fly home last week because of an ankle injury but was unlikely to have played in the first Test anyway after being named in the midweek side that beat the Southern Kings.

But Matfield admits he was amazed the Lions did not consider the 28-year-old to be their first-choice tighthead after his brilliant display against Springboks in last year's Autumn Internationals.

He said: "I have no doubt that the Lions would have turned to Murray for the second Test but that other piece of good news for us is that he has gone home injured.

"Euan Murray caused us a lot of trouble in the Autumn Internationals and we were very surprised, and happy, when he was chosen to face the Southern Kings because we knew that meant he would not be involved in the first Test and that we would get the edge up front.

"He was someone who had given us big problems during our tour to Europe the previous November.

"He had asked questions of our scrum and we did not come up with the answers."