The sight of Erasmus as water boy on Wednesday night was a statement in itself. In his Munster days, he would use Jacques Nienaber, a qualified physio but hired as a defence coach, at pitch-side to get messages across more easily. It was a significant advantage.

The final whistle wasn’t long gone when hostilities opened between Gatland and Erasmus. Predictably, it was around the timing and height of tackles. We parse what they say and decide is there a winner by knockout or points, but the important thing is the interaction.

It’s what any series needs to raise the temperature. Maybe that’s what contributed to the following exchange, which we had yesterday with Andy Colquhoun of the South Africa Rugby Union. A journo in a previous incarnation, Andy is not the go-to man on their union’s press comms but we’re still waiting for that lad to respond to last week’s email about the level of vaxxing in the Springbok squad.

The query was this: in the endgame on Wednesday night an exhausted-looking Eben Etzebeth was treated with an oral spray by a medic who came on to assist him. Sam Warburton, doing co-commentary with Sky, suggested it might have been a remedy for cramp.

You wouldn’t need to be in this business to have your interest piqued by that. So we asked what exactly was Etzebeth given?

“You think he was taking steroids on the field, is that it?” said a heartily laughing Andy.

Hmm. We didn’t mention steroids. We weren’t aware the administering of ’roids on the field, never mind in competition, was a thing. But it strikes us that lots of folks would have watched the clip and wondered was it to enhance Etzebeth’s performance to get him over the line, to kill pain, or maybe to ward off cramp?

Administering an agent under the tongue is the speed equivalent of intravenous injection, which clearly is out of the question in these circumstances. So, it seems like a fair enough question to ask, especially of a man who used to ask questions himself before going over to the other side.

“No, no – but it’s very popular in Ireland,” said Andy, still chuckling away. “A very popular subject in Ireland when it comes to South Africans.”

We asked the Lions if they had any stuff they administered in this fashion and the unofficial reply – it was yesterday afternoon and the Stormers were about to engage the tourists – was that there were sachets of electrolytes they used in drinks, which had the added benefit of diminishing hangovers.

The last bit might have been a joke. But no spray, it seems. Though Alun-Wyn Jones had a snort of something just before he came on - are smelling salts still used to shake players up?

By the time the Lions took to the field yesterday evening, they were clear on stuff that needed to be fixed ahead of the first Test on Saturday. Top of the list were maul defence, beating the blitz, and putting some intrigue into their pick and jam game.

It was interesting to hear Maro Itoje last week measuring his assessment of what’s coming down the line in green. We’re paraphrasing here but it’s not about the rabbits they pull out of the hat, rather the power and dedication to the cause of the same old rabbits: biff, biff and biff again. Of course they have a clever kicking game and a handful of game-changers, but it’s all about the basics.

If the Lions can’t make the lineout an unappealing destination then the Boks will return to it ad nauseum. And if they can’t figure a way around the South African blitz defence it’s lights out.

So we might not even get to the bit about how best to use penalties five metres out – which is the easiest fix, and surely Gatland has kept that fix hidden because it was more of the blunt edge there yesterday.

Instead, the point of difference was the willingness of Ali Price to bounce off the back of the breakdown, causing trouble. It’s a ready-made way to take the heat out of a blitz defence, and if Gatland invests in this over the course of the week then it’s bad news for Conor Murray.

Clearly he won’t want to leave Murray out – it doesn’t make Gatland’s captaincy call a great shout in the first place – but if he wants to inject pace into the game then it’s the best option. If the coach finds that one awkward then how will he feel about ditching Owen Farrell?

He should bench Farrell to cover 10 and 12, and start Elliot Daly at 13 ahead of Chris Harris. Daly’s football ability often gets the teams he plays for out of trouble – yes, it was he who invited Cheslin Kolbe into the game in midweek – but he can play.

Mostly you hope that’s what Gatland gets his team doing: playing creatively off nine and throwing a few shapes the Boks haven’t seen yet; move them around so the last 10 minutes becomes a battle for air.

And no, we never heard back on whatever gave Eben Etzebeth that extra puff.