DANNY GREWCOCK roared out a defiant message last night as the British Lions limped into Sydney following their record 35-14 second Test mauling by world champions Australia.

Not only did the tourists take a serious second-half beating, they also saw four key players, Jonny Wilkinson, Richard Hill, Rob Howley and Brian O'Driscoll, suffer injuries deemed serious enough to warrant hospital treatment.

Everything went horribly wrong during a dreadful 40-minute spell when the Lions collapsed spectacularly after leading 11-6 and seemingly closing in on a 2-0 Test series triumph.

The Wallabies walloped them through a Joe Roff try double and 25 points from recalled full-back Matt Burke to set up an enticing series decider at Stadium Australia next Saturday.

Whether the Lions can now pick themselves up, both mentally and physically, after scorning a host of scoring chances, then falling apart, represents Graham Henry's biggest coaching challenge.

But England lock Grewcock epitomised a fighting spirit to bounce back off the ropes and deny Australia another win that form guides suggest and bookmakers Down Under now expect.

"We have worked far too hard on this tour to throw it all away now," he said, following the crushing Colonial Stadium defeat under a closed roof that might just as well have caved in on the Lions.

"The lads might be a bit battered and bruised, yet the minds are as firmly set as they ever have been on winning this series. If it comes down to desire, then we will win next Saturday.

"Perhaps we panicked after not doing enough in the first-half. We didn't have the necessary composure, and when they put pressure on us, we cracked.

"This was a game that we gave away - we were 11-3 ahead, but it should have been a far bigger gap. We have got it all to do now, but we are far from out."

Try-scorer Neil Back, who was driven over from a 25th-minute line-out during an intense spell of Lions dominance, also underlined the seemingly unfaltering spirit.

"We are not demoralised," he insisted. "I am confident that we have a team capable of winning, and the emphasis has to be on playing for both halves, which we haven't done in either Test.

"We felt at half-time that we should have scored at least three tries, and the game would have then been beyond them. But we didn't, and we paid the price.

"The series is now set up as neutrals would have wanted it and it is going to be a great finale, but as a squad, we know that we are well capable of winning this series."