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'In my view it's a penalty' - Read
Kieran Read was left feeling “hollow” after New Zealand were denied the opportunity to snatch a series win over the British and Irish Lions in a dramatic finale at Eden Park.
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The Lions were in danger of suffering a heart-breaking defeat when referee Romain Poite awarded a penalty a minute from time, just after Owen Farrell had brought the Lions level with his fourth penalty of the night.
Yet the decision to penalise Ken Owens was downgraded following a look from the TMO, as the replacement was deemed to have been accidentally offside.
The Lions held on to salvage a 15-15 draw in Auckland, ensuring a gripping series finished all square at 1-1 – the first time the two rivals have tied.
New Zealand captain Read was left to rue that late call in his 100th Test, which the world champions led for much of following tries from Ngani Laumape and Jordie Barrett in their first starts.
Asked how he felt following the match, the All Blacks skipper told Sky Sports: “Pretty hollow to be honest, you walk away with a draw it doesn’t really mean much.
“I suppose I’ll look back in the future with a bit more pride. The series was pretty well fought out, the teams couldn’t be split and that’s the way it goes.”
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Asked about the controversial end to the Test, he added: “In my view it’s a penalty, he ruled it correctly from the start but when you bring in replays you’ll get a different decision.
“That’s not why we lost the game, it’s an accumulation and it’s one of those that goes against you, you’ve got to deal with it.
“We had a lot of endeavour and hard work from the boys, we were perhaps trying too hard and wanted to put in a good performance. I’m proud of the lads we stuck at it, it’s hard to know how to feel right now.”
