From the soaring highs of 77:32 to the odd sense of deflation of 81:39.
The Lions came within one caught pass and another moment of magic. They came close to winning a Test Series against New Zealand for the first time in 46 years.
It was not to be, however, and no-one was happy when Romain Poite blew the final whistle to leave the game tied at 15-15 and the series at 1-1.
The trophy was shared but the smiles were mostly for the cameras, family and friends. We heard that bizarre comparison of ‘kissing your sister’ far too often and the Eden Park event staff thought ‘F*** it anyway’ and blasted off all the fireworks and glittered confetti they had in stock.
Sky Sports tried to buck up the Lions but many of the players spoke of chances missed and history slipping through their hands.
There was such a simple solution; and easy answer. Why didn’t someone just step up and say ‘Let’s keep playing’?
Look at the faces of the players at the final whistle. CJ Stander and Owen Farrell are not at all happy when Poite blows up. Beauden Barrett and Aaron Cruden are gutted.
Following the game, Sky asked Barrett if extra time would have been a good way of settling the contest. He responded:
“100%. Even the British & Irish boys would like to have played an extra 10 minutes but it is what it is.”
It is what it is.
Did anyone suggest this on the pitch at the time? It certainly didn’t look like it.
Imagine the scenes had Sam Warburton and Kieran Read met in the middle, exchanged words and told the officials they wanted to settle this one. The Eden Park crowd would have erupted.
There would have been frantic checking of rule books and concerned-looking match officials. Both sets of players refusing to budge; staring each other down.
We could have had a moment that no-one would ever have forgotten. For all the talk of sporting immortality, this could have been rugby’s finest moments.
Rules are rules, though, and rugby loves rules. No-one wanted it to end this way but the commentators had to rip up two scripts and tell us instead how glorious and sporting it was to finish even after such a pulsating contest.
Two sets of grown men were left looking at each other. You wouldn’t want to say it was all for nothing, but two proud teams have just battered and flung each other for three games, 240 minutes and a flood of priceless moments.
We were left with Warburton and Read lifting a trophy that will not have an owner until 2029. The Kiwis have been waiting 12 years for this and now they must wait 12 more.
Twitter exploded after the game with the words ‘extra’ and ‘time’ featuring heavily on timelines of rugby fans the world over. My phone buzzed with the following message:
‘I HAD TO SIT THROUGH SIX WEEKS OF SCOTT QUINNELL FOR…. THIS?!’
Beauden Barrett was asked, after the game, if he saw himself making it to the next series against the Lions. He’ll be 36 and professional rugby players don’t make it that far any more. “Jordie… maybe,” he offered about his younger brother. He’ll be 32.
What we’re left with is a Lions team that did themselves proud. A New Zealand team finding its way in fleeting style to another World Cup title defence and an emotional black hole.
Don’t be surprised if the 2021 Lions Tour to South Africa has a provision that states extra time will be played in the likelihood of a draw.
It’s just a shame it didn’t come at Eden Park. Now, that would have been a sight to behold.
