All Blacks 'gutted' by Test draw: Taylor

Jul 8, 2017 - 8:47 PM A draw, taken like a loss.

Codie Taylor says there was nothing but gloom in the All Blacks' dressing room after their 15-15 third-Test draw with the British and Irish Lions.

Like in the second Test, a late Owen Farrell three-pointer settled the result at Eden Park, with Taylor's All Blacks controversially denied a last-minute penalty after Lions hooker Ken Owens touched the ball in an offside position.

It was a decision that, like coach Steve Hansen, the Crusaders rake didn't care to discuss, saying his side had simply wasted too many try-scoring chances.

The feeling was a hollow one after the match, with the two sides sharing the spoils and finishing the series with a Test win apiece.

"It feels pretty average. Pretty gutted," Taylor said.

"It's tough, both teams went out and played with a lot of heart.

"We can't really dwell on what happened in that last play, we had opportunities to score points and we didn't finish (them) off in other facets of the game.

"It cost us a bit; it could've put a lot of pressure back on them.

"We just lacked a little on the execution side."

Despite the drawn series, Taylor can take plenty of heart from his performances against the Lions, filling in for concussed incumbent Dane Coles.

Starting in all three Tests, Taylor bagged the first try of the series in his side's 30-15 first-Test win and consistently delivered at lineout time.

The 26-year-old Levin native said he was grateful for the chance to pull on the No.2 jumper on the biggest stage, and learn plenty about Test footy.

He hoped to continue in the same vein in next month's Bledisloe Cup, following his Super Rugby run-in with the unbeaten Crusaders.

Coach Steve Hansen, meanwhile, said Coles' concussion issues had provided Taylor with an opportunity to grow in experience.

An opportunity upon which he seized, alongside the likes of Ngani Laumape and Jordie Barrett.

"We couldn't change that Dane wasn't playing. So the thing, then, is to look at the opportunities," Hansen said.

"The opportunity's been to get Codie Taylor a lot of game time.

"What I do know is that when Coles comes back, we've got another young man who's got a lot of self-belief and understanding that he can do the job."

Source: AAP