Dillon Lewis has gone through extreme pain for Wales and expects things to get even darker this week

The doubters are never too far away from Dillon Lewis' door.

When news of Tomas Francis' back injury emerged before the Wales squad flew to South Africa, the reaction among the majority of supporters was one of panic. To some, the success or otherwise of this entire tour hinged on Francis' fitness.

But it was Lewis who filled the No. 3 jersey at Loftus Versfeld against the world champions, and the scrum was not the catastrophe which many may have feared. But it turned into a longer day at the office than Lewis might have expected.

When he trotted to the sideline in the 50th minute and began donning a jacket, he would have been pretty content with his performance as Wales led 18-10. But he had not even finished putting said jacket on when word came down that he had to go back onto the field.

His replacement, Tomas Francis, suffered a heavy blow to the head and was concussed. Lewis was going to have to do 79 minutes and 30 seconds against one of the most revered packs in world rugby at altitude in one of the most hostile stadiums on the planet. No small task.

He told reporters in Johannesburg: “I didn’t have much time to think about it to be honest. It wasn’t nice seeing Franny down the way that he was. It was quite a nasty one, so I was hoping that he was okay.

“I remember Nugget [Martyn Williams, team manager] telling me to get back on. You don’t really prep for those situations, they just happen.

"It was definitely a test on the lungs and the legs. They’re big men as well so it’s not just the running around that you have to worry about, it’s also trying to stop them running over you. It was a tough Test but an enjoyable one, probably one of my most enjoyable Test matches for Wales.”

Lewis is used to long days at the