The Lions tour came to an unusual end on Saturday, a draw, and a drawn series too. It would have been good to have had had a definitive result, and the whole stadium and all the players went quiet at the final whistle - who gets excited about a draw? . But really, it just showed how close the whole series was, that there didn't deserve to be a clear winner. Both sides had chances, and while the All blacks scored two tries, they left at least another two behind, and the Lions should have scored a try early on. And if Beauden Barrett had brought his kicking boots, it could have all been different. In a perfect world, they would have been playing a deciding match next weekend...
For the Irish players, Furlong was epic, as usual, Murray was imperious again, Sexton showed class, composure and created space for other players, and O'Brien and Stander were physical and busy. Five out of the best 23 European players outside of France? We'll take that. They were playing side by side with an excellent group - Davies, Itoje, Williams, Alwyn Jones, that pushed them all to new heights.
The Lions as a concept is in rude health - to come from a three match wipeout in 2005 when they last toured New Zealand to a drawn series this time is a big step up. Let's face it, it all points to a clean sweep for the Lions in 2029!
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