Series draw with New Zealand ‘feels a bit like kissing your sister’, says British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland
British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland insists his side can return home with their heads held high after drawing their Test series with New Zealand, but admits the result ‘feels a bit like kissing your sister’.
The Lions held the All Blacks 15-15 at Eden Park on Saturday to end the thrilling three-game series all square at 1-1 – the tourists drawing just their second series in history.
There was an air of anti-climax following the final whistle in Auckland, with team captains Sam Warburton and Kieran Read admitting their obvious disappointment at the result.
But boss Gatland – who walked into the post-match press conference sporting a fancy dress red clown's nose, in a pointed jibe at the New Zealand Herald newspaper - insisted the Lions can be proud of their achievement, despite its bitter taste.
He said following the game: “It’s a great achievement, but it feels a bit like kissing your sister
“To come to New Zealand and to draw a Test series against the back-to-back world champions is fantastic, particularly how tough the tour was - we were totally written off with the predictions for a three-nil whitewash.
“I don’t think we played brilliantly today, there were a lot of mistakes, both teams made a lot of mistakes and it was a game for the defence coaches.
“But we’re reasonably happy, Eden Park is a fortress to them, so I think everyone can go home with their heads held reasonably high.”
Lions boss Gatland insisted he would not have wanted any extra-time to be played, and All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen agreed.
Asked if he would have wanted extra-time, Gatland said: "No. This is unusual, yeah, but I think those provisions have to be put in place beforehand.
When New Zealand boss Hansen was asked if he would have wanted extra-time, he said: "There's no simple answer.
"Look, maybe everyone's a bit hollow today because of the last three minutes.
"There was some really good rugby played, and maybe a drawn series was fair.
"We played well in the first Test, they played well in the second. We did well enough to win it in the third but they hung in there.
"So rugby's always had a draw and it's not a World Cup final; it is a three-match series. So my own belief is probably leave it the way it is.
"If you're good enough to get a drawn series, both teams will get the credit that comes from it."