Warren Gatland’s team were heroic in an absorbing, relentless, and physical contest, the 80 minutes in Auckland seeing both sides give everything in a gladiatorial encounter which will live long in the memory.
Ultimately, the two teams could not be separated.
Four penalties from Owen Farrell and one from Elliot Daly kept the Lions in the game, Farrell’s final effort setting up an intriguing finish. Straight from the restart, Ken Owens was penalised for offside and it looked like Beauden Barrett would have a shot at goal to win the game.
But after reviewing the decision, referee Romain Poite changed his mind and gave a scrum. It was a huge call, which ultimately allowed the Lions to clinch a share of the spoils.
The All Blacks scored tries through Ngani Laumape and Jordie Barrett, with Beauden Barrett adding five points. But with Jerome Kaino in the sin bin, the Lions responded though it wasn’t quite enough to seal victory.
It means neither team came out on top, a first ever shared series between these two sides a strange conclusion but one perhaps befitting of two outfits who gave everything in their pursuit of glory.
One of the most eagerly anticipated games in rugby history saw the All Blacks start with a bang.
Beauden Barrett dragged a shocking early penalty effort wide, but New Zealand were ferocious at the contact area and looked determined to play in the wide channels.
Only a poor pass from Jordie Barrett stopped Julian Savea from going over in the corner, but the game then burst into life following a sustained Lions attack.
Constant pressure from the tourists looked to have paid off, but when Farrell spread the ball right with men outside him, the pass was intercepted by Beauden Barrett who sprinted clear.
Laumape was in support, the centre dragged down by the covering Jonathan Davies before Anthony Watson somehow managed to avert the danger.
The length-of-the-field counter lit the game’s blue touchpaper, and gave the home side the field position from which they took the lead. A trademark Beauden Barrett cross-kick was tapped down by his brother Jordie, Laumape given an easy finish. Beauden Barrett converted.
After their defeat in the second Test, Steve Hansen’s All Blacks were firing, but the Lions weren’t helping themselves. Their scrum was struggling and three uncharacteristic errors from Farrell summed things up.
Johnny Sexton also failed to find touch with one clearance kick and although Farrell did get the tourists on the board with a simple penalty, the Lions were still up against it.
Somehow, though, Gatland’s men stayed in touch on the scoreboard as the home side, rather like the Lions earlier in the tour, failed to take the chances presented to them.
Farrell narrowed the deficit to a point with his second penalty, but the All Blacks weren’t to be denied for long. A sensational team try followed, Laumape doing brilliantly to get his hands out of the tackle, freeing centre partner Anton Lienert-Brown, whose pass allowed Jordie Barrett to dive over for his first Test try.
The conversion went wide to bring an end to the first period with the Lions trailing 12-6.
CJ Stander replaced Sean O’Brien at half time for the Lions, the second period getting off to the perfect start as Daly nailed an incredible penalty effort from more than 50 metres.
Sexton, who had taken a worrying blow to the leg before the break, was then forced off for a head injury assessment.
The ferocious nature of the collisions continued.
Kaino’s high shot on Alun Wyn Jones saw him yellow carded, the Lions lock replaced by Courtney Lawes after the monstrous hit.
Sexton returned to the field with the Lions boasting an extra man and with Lawes tackled high, Farrell’s monster kick made it 12-12 going into the game’s final quarter.
A crowd of 48,609 turned up the noise, but it was the All Blacks who sneaked back ahead.
The impressive Sam Warburton left the field to become the latest man to have a head injury checked, Jones returning as skipper and Lawes moving to the flank.
The change immediately coincided with replacement Lions prop Kyle Sinckler collapsing a scrum in front of the posts and Beauden Barrett’s kick gave the All Blacks a three-point lead.
Farrell responded to level up the game once again, but the match’s controversial moment followed straight from the restart.
Poite’s reversal and failure to penalise Owens gave the Lions a shot and after holding out relentless late home pressure, the game came to an end with nothing to separate the teams on the scoreboard.
