How the Lions rated on tour

Rob Kearney: Grew in stature to such an extent that he returns home as arguably Europe's premier full-back. 8.

Ugo Monye: The tour's top try-scorer with five touchdowns, who impressed despite blowing two great first Test chances. 7.

Leigh Halfpenny: Delayed entry on tour because of injury - then made a premature exit when the same problem flared up. 5.

Tommy Bowe: The Ireland Grand Slam-winning wing made a blistering start, scoring four tries, before fading slightly. 7.

Luke Fitzgerald: Started the second Test, but his tour will be remembered for him being on the wrong end of some Schalk Burger skullduggery. 6.

Shane Williams: Kept the best until last, scoring a Lions record-equalling two tries in the third Test. Remains a finisher par excellence. 7.

Brian O'Driscoll: Provided an inspirational presence on and off the pitch. The Springboks were left spellbound by his midfield genius. 9.

Keith Earls: Recovered superbly from a dreadful display during the tour opener in Rustenburg. The young Irishman has a bright future. 7.

Jamie Roberts: A superstar in the making, whose centre partnership with O'Driscoll was a match made in rugby heaven. 8.

Riki Flutey: Injury hampered his early tour progress, but he took his chance in the third Test with an accomplished effort. 7.

Stephen Jones: A flaky first Test performance in Durban was followed by high-class contributions at Loftus Versfeld and Ellis Park. 7.

Ronan O'Gara: Never really got going, while he also conceded the last-gasp penalty Morne Steyn kicked to deny the Lions a second Test draw in Pretoria. 5.

James Hook: Looked comfortable in the rarefied atmosphere of a Lions tour. Could be a major player in Australia four years hence. 7.

Mike Phillips: Aggressive, skilful and wonderfully committed throughout the tour. The best scrum-half in Europe. 8.

Harry Ellis: Had limited opportunities with Phillips in such outstanding form, but he played the understudy role well. 6.

Mike Blair: The Scotland captain started poorly, and then quickly disappeared off the radar. 4.

Gethin Jenkins: Gave it everything in the front-row before a fractured cheekbone ended his tour a week early. 7.

Andrew Sheridan: Missed out behind Jenkins in the Test shake-up, but a solid contributor. 6.

Adam Jones: Arguably the most improved prop in world rugby. Tamed Tendai "The Beast" Mtawarira in the second Test before a serious shoulder injury laid him low. 8.

Euan Murray: Suffered a tour-ending ankle injury during victory over the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth. 5.

Phil Vickery: Recovered brilliantly from a first Test mauling against "The Beast" to finish the tour in style. Magnificent leader. 7.

Matthew Rees: Overtook Lee Mears as the Test hooker in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Really raised his game. 7.

Lee Mears: Dropped following the first Test and then failed to make the match-day 22 in Tests two and three. 5.

Ross Ford: Moved above Mears in the pecking order to provide Test bench cover, but Rees was some way ahead as first choice. 6.

Simon Shaw: Made his Test debut 12 years after first touring with the Lions, and produced probably the performance of his life in Pretoria. 8.

Alun-Wyn Jones: Started the first Test, but things didn't quite happen for the highly-rated Wales lock after that. 6.

Donncha O'Callaghan: Captained the Lions in one of their midweek games, but never seriously threatened a Test start. 6.

Paul O'Connell: Captained the Lions to a stunning third Test win, although his form didn't consistently hit the heights some had expected. 7.

Nathan Hines: The uncompromising Scotland forward collected a week's ban for foul play against the Emerging Springboks. A committed competitor in every game he played. 6.

Stephen Ferris: Looked a leading contender to make the Test team before he suffered a tour-ending knee injury. The 2013 trip should mean another Lions opportunity, though. 7.

Tom Croft: Outstanding during the first two Tests, claiming a try double in Durban. Should have another two Lions tours ahead of him. 8.

Joe Worsley: Did a lot of unsung, unspectacular work, culminating in him gaining a third Test start. 7.

David Wallace: Won his battle with Martyn Williams for the number seven shirt in the first two Tests. Solid, rather than spectacular. 6.

Martyn Williams: Made a long-awaited Lions Test debut in the tour's final game, and didn't disappoint. Class operator. 7.

Andy Powell: The strong-running Wales number eight didn't offer too much more than his trademark route one approach. 5.

Jamie Heaslip: Magnificent in the third Test, and just gets better and better. An Irish back-row gem. 8.

Replacements:

Gordon D'Arcy: An early arrival on tour, and had some impressive moments. 6.

Tim Payne: Started against the Emerging Springboks just a day after arriving in South Africa. 6.

John Hayes: Flew out to South Africa as replacement for Euan Murray. 6.

Ryan Jones: A flying visit. Summoned as a replacement, but had not suitably recovered from concussion and returned home almost immediately. 3.