British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell says their gruelling Australian tour was "an absolute delight" despite failing to secure a whitewash, and left the door open to leading them again in 2029 against the All Blacks.
Despite a shock warm-up defeat to Argentina in Dublin, the cream of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales arrived in Perth six weeks ago as red-hot favourites against a Wallabies team that had slumped to eighth in the world.
After winning their opening five tour games then overpowering the hosts 27-19 in the first test at Brisbane, a first unbeaten series since 1974 was on the cards.
But a resilient Wallabies, still rebuilding after a horror 2023 World Cup, proved the doubters wrong to rally impressively and narrowly lose the second test 29-26 in Melbourne, before stunning the Lions 22-12 in Sydney on Saturday.
Farrell said it was frustrating to lose at a rain-soaked and lightning-affected Stadium Australia, denying them a place in the pantheon of Lions greats.
But he said the tour as a whole was a big success, with bumper crowds, a positive team vibe under skipper Maro Itoje and memories "that will stay with us forever".
"I have said to the lads that on reflection it might take one or two beers, but they will be unbelievably proud of what they achieved throughout this tour," he told reporters.
"We all know how hard it is to be successful on a Lions tour against a good side like Australia.
"Lions tours are tough. The legacy for us is in that changing room. The togetherness of the whole group has been an absolute delight.
"We've played some outstanding rugby."
The Lions do not tour again until 2029 when they travel to New Zealand, with Farrell not ruling out coaching them again.
"Everyone knows what I think about this concept. I suppose that says it all. I absolutely love everything the Lions is about," said the Englishman, who will now return to his regular duties as Ireland coach.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks. There's always ups and downs but the inner circle is a special place to be."
Asked if that meant he was keen to coach the Lions again, he replied: "Well, read into that what you want, but four years is a long time between drinks."
'SPECIAL THINGS'
The Wallabies only have a fortnight to recover before kicking off their Rugby Championship campaign with back-to-back tests against world champions South Africa.
But they will take heart from their improvement as the series wore on, particularly in Sydney where they were in control for large parts of the game.
Coach Joe Schmidt will step down after the southern hemisphere competition and make way for Les Kiss, who will lead them into the 2027 World Cup, which Australia will host.
The New Zealander's job was always about rebuilding after the 2023 World Cup under Eddie Jones, when they failed to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time.
And he believes Australian rugby is once again heading in the right direction.
"I felt we grew through the series. We lost the first half of the first test but after that I felt we were right in every match," said Schmidt.
"After the feeling of deep disappointment they had after losing the series in Melbourne I couldn't be prouder of how this team responded.
"Looking forward I think there is a lot to be excited about."
Farrell was Schmidt's assistant when he was Ireland coach, and has always stressed that it would be insulting to underestimate any team he led.
"Special things are going to happen to Australia over the next 18 months," the Lions' coach said, after acknowledging the Wallabies were the better side in Sydney.
