Whiteley: Crusaders were more clinical
The Lions went down 37-43 and were outscored six tries to four in match that left many of the players breathless after the final whistle.
"They were good – they were extremely clinical in more aspects of the game," said Whiteley.
"They were dangerous at turnover ball like all New Zealand sides are and every mistake we made they capitalised on."
Despite the loss, Whiteley said he was proud with the character his team showed in trying to fight their way back each time the Crusaders scored.
"I am really proud of the fight within the team. We did not lie down once.
"The guys were behind the polls and we fought back to get the bonus point. That counts for a lot. That point might come in handy later on in the competition," Whiteley added.
The Crusaders match came after a bye for the Lions and while the Johannesburg team might have been a bit rusty, head coach Johan Ackermann did not want to use it as an excuse for the loss.
"Maybe we weren't as sharp, then again we scored some good tries," said Ackermann.
"The Crusaders just punished us on our own mistakes. It is something we have to rectify. Blackadder said they weren't was as sharp after their bye so maybe it is something that cost us a bit.
"I don't want to blame the defeat on that. We prepared well during the week – the energy was there and the focus was there."
The Lions will now head to Durban to face the Sharks and will be looking for a morale-boosting win against the Africa Conference Two leaders to get their campaign back on track.
"The pressure will be on the Sharks. It is a home game for them so we just have to fix our mistakes and go down there with a positive mind and belief.
"I think they are four [wins] out of five. They are a quality side with a lot of Springboks and they are a physical side so it's a big challenge for us to go down there," Ackermann added.
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