British and Irish Lions draw New Zealand series after Auckland thriller

The British and Irish Lions claimed a dramatic series draw with New Zealand after a 15-15 thriller in the third and final test at Eden Park. Four penalties from Owen Farrell and one from Elliot Daly kept the All Blacks in check to secure a first tied series since 1955.

Ngani Laumape and Jordie Barrett's tries gave the hosts a 12-6 lead at the break, with Owen Farrell's penalties keeping the Lions in contention. Daly and Farrell added further penalties to restore parity to leave the scores level with 20 minutes remaining.

Barrett looked to have given the three-time world champions victory but Farrell levelled again with another soaring kick. An exhilarating finale saw a New Zealand penalty downgraded to a scrum but the double world champions were unable to convert late possession into a series-winning score as the Lions held firm heroically.

"It's better than losing I guess," tour captain Sam Warburton said. "I was ready to go to extra-time! We've come to the double world champs and to not get beat is something. We can take some positives but obviously as players you're gutted to miss out on that win."

The world champions were a wounded animal after suffering their first home defeat for eight years in Wellington and they begun like a team possessed. Barrett's missed penalty and Julian Savea's knock-on meant they were initially unable to take advantage but courtesy of Jordie Barrett touching back his brother's cross-kick, Laumape collected the loose ball and stormed off.

Barrett added the extras but a number of handling errors, with Kieran Read and Barrett senior among the main offenders let the Lions off the hook in the first half. Two penalties from an otherwise error-strewn Farrell reduced the areas and kept the tourists - whose bouts of possession had been rare amid swaths of Kiwi attacks - in touch.

Injury to Johnny Sexton essentially left the Lions down to 14 men and New Zealand exposed the virtual numerical advantage in the twilight of the opening 40 minutes with their second try. Laumape's offload found the rampaging Anton Lienert-Brown who found Barrett junior on his maiden international start to score with ease to increase the lead to six.

Inside two minutes of the restart the lead was halved as Daly kicked a monster penalty from 45 meters. The initiative remained with the Lions as Jerome Kaino was yellow carded for a forearm jab on Alun Wyn Jones, which forced his removal and gave the away side a man advantage. But a single Farrell penalty was all the Lions had to show from the 10 minutes with an extra player but it ensured the scores and the series was tantalisingly level heading into the final quarter.

A scrum penalty allowed Barrett to put New Zealand back in front but Farrell responded in kind with three minutes on the clock. The Kiwis thought they had been given the chance to win the series in the final minutes via an accidental Lions offside but referee Romain Poite downgraded the offence to a scrum and the home side were unable to convert their late possession as the game and the series ended in an unsatisfactory draw for both sides.