Published Tuesday, 23 June 2009
The Lions led 10-0 with a try from the impressive Keith Earls and then 13-6 after James Hook had added one penalty to two from Ronan O'Gara.
But Cheetahs winger Danwel Demas ruined an otherwise impressive Lions defensive performance by scoring in the corner with the final attack of the match.
Then Willem de Waal, who had helped Western Province push the Lions close at Newlands earlier in the tour, sealed a famous result for the Emerging Springboks with a brilliant touchline conversion.
But McGeechan was keen to accentuate the positives of a match played in horrendous conditions at Newlands.
"It was a potential banana skin we have got through," said the Lions head coach.
"It was a game we had to get out of. It was a million miles from what we want at the weekend.
The conditions were always going to be a leveller. Not a lot of rugby was played there.
It was disappointing to give a try away at the end, but I thought our attitude on the field was superb."
Difficult conditions
The Lions management will meet on Wednesday to finalise their team selection for Saturday's second Test against the Springboks in Pretoria.
The conditions in Cape Town did not help those with genuine Test ambitions push their cases forward.
O'Gara was one of them and he was effectively thrust into a fly-half face-off with Hook, who was introduced after just four minutes of the second half.
"The conditions were up there with the worst I have experienced," said Munster fly-half O'Gara.
"We wanted to push management for selection for the weekend but we didn't really get that opportunity. We had to temper the gameplan.
We needed to get one score further ahead. I don't think we felt under threat by this team tonight - but they came at us in the end."
He added: "The mood is disappointed. There is a realisation some guys won't play again on this tour, and it will hurt."