Saturday 8 July 2017 12:40, UK
All Blacks captain Kieran Read said he was left feeling "pretty hollow" after the series with the Lions ended in a 1-1 draw.
And Read questioned the decision not to award the hosts a late penalty, with which they could have secured a dramatic victory at Eden Park.
Read won his 100th cap on Saturday but a hard-fought 15-15 draw in Auckland meant the series finished level after the sides had split the first two Tests.
An Owen Farrell penalty three minutes from time earned the Lions a share of the spoils and Read did not see the outcome as a cause for much celebration.
Asked how he was feeling after the game, Read said: "Pretty hollow to be honest.
"You walk away with a draw, it doesn't really mean much.
"I'll look back on this in the future with a bit more pride, look back on the series as pretty well fought-out.
"Two teams couldn't be split so that's the way it goes."
The All Blacks were denied a late chance to win the match and series when they were awarded a penalty well within kicking range, only for the decision to be downgraded to a New Zealand attacking scrum after a video review.
Referee Romain Poite originally decreed that Lions replacement hooker Ken Owens was offside when he fielded the ball following a kick-off but, after consultation with his assistants and the video ref, the Frenchman decided the offside was accidental.
"In my view it is a penalty and I think he ruled it correctly from the start," said Read.
"I guess when you bring in replays, and everything, you will get different decisions.
"That was not why we didn't win the game, it was an accumulation of everything throughout the game.
"It was just one of those that goes against you and you have to deal with it."
The All Blacks were on top in the early stages but squandered some decent try-scoring opportunities and Read felt it was reasonable to say that they got the gameplan right but faltered in their execution at times.
"Yes, I guess that is fair," he said.
"There was a lot of endeavour and hard work from the boys, perhaps we were just trying too hard.
"We wanted to put in a great performance and it just didn't click for us.
"Really proud of the lads, we stuck at it. It is hard to know what you're feeling right now."
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said he and his team had to accept the contentious late decision by Poite and his officiating team.
"It's a tough game to ref and we all know what happened and we all know what should have happened," said Hansen.
"And at the end of the day, it's a game and as little kids we're taught that we have to live with it.
"We are accepting with whatever decisions were made. It's the decision the ref has made and we will live with it.
"I go back to the (2015) World Cup and Scotland missed out (in the quarter final against Australia) because they didn't use the video. This time they did and had a powwow.
"His initial instincts were a penalty. He spoke to his team and one of them said it was accidental.
"We can't change that. If we scored another try, we wouldn't be having this discussion."
