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The referee awards New Zealand a late scrum
The referee awards New Zealand a late scrum

LIVE: New Zealand v British and Irish Lions: Follow the action as it happens in our live blog


Follow our live coverage of the decisive third Test between the All Blacks and British and Irish Lions from Eden Park, Auckland

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Alex Payne: Notes from New Zealand

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Full-time: New Zealand 15-15 British and Irish Lions

NZ tries: Lauampe (15)  Barrett (36)
Penalties: Barrett (67)
Conversions: Barrett (16) 

Lions penalties: Farrell (21, 31, 59, 76) Daly (41)

THAT'S THAT. IT'S ALL OVER. WHAT DRAMA.

It's finished 15-15 and there's a subdued silence at Eden Park and weirdly no celebrations from the players of both sides. The Lions came close but were denied at the death and their dream of emulating the 1971 team is over. 

What a match and what a series. Once again the Lions have come back from the dead, trailing by six points at the break to force a draw and square the series.

After New Zealand's dominant display in the first Test the Lions have shown true determination to level things up. Three great games, and plenty of drama we couldn't have asked for more. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

79 mins: We're into the last minute. What a finish. New Zealand have the ball in hand, discipline is key now. They are into the 22, the Lions are hanging on.

78 mins: Straight from the kick-off the Lions are penalised again. The ref goes to the TMO. What drama! Read pats Warburton on the back, are they going to shake hands and call it a draw?  NO PENALTY. The referee reverses the decision. What a call by the French official. Read is insensed by the decision.

76 mins: Another chance for Farrell. It's dead straight, 45 metres out. He's done it, it goes over it's ALL SQUARE! 15-15

75 mins: Five minutes to go and the Lions are into the New Zealand 22 at last. They need to keep the ball alive now. PENALTY LIONS!!!!

73 mins: I'm running out of finger nails here. It's tense, it's tight. Another roar comes up from the Lions' supporters. 

70 mins:  We're into the last ten minutes and the All Blacks are pegging the Lions deep in their own half. It's going to need a moment of brilliance from one of the Lions to salavage this. 

Nowell comes on for Watson and Cruden comes on for New Zealand.

67 mins: Penalty New Zealand. Kyle Sinckler, who has just come on, is penalised at the scrum and Barrett kicks it from in front of the posts. Could that be the decisive score? It's 15-12 

66 mins:  Jones is back on. I'm surprised by that as the Kaino challenge left him dazed. 

63 mins: There's a real belief from the Lions' players but can they seize this opportunity. We're into the last quarter of the series and it's hard to call. The next score is crucial.

62 mins: I seriously can't believe this. The Lions are well on top and the upset of all upsets is on the cards. What a finish we have here. Is this New Zealand side feeling the pressure?

58 mins: Penalty Lions: Farrell levels things up with another penalty. What composure from the England man. It's 12-12.

Kaino's back on and it's 15 v 15 again. What a dramatic finish we are in for.

57 mins: Anthony Watson looks like he's got the wrong studs in his boots. Time and time again he slips when receiving the ball.

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Just over an hour to go and history beckons for the Lions. They have a great chance to win this one, how I'm not really sure after playing second fiddle for most of the first half.

52 mins: Forward pass from Watson denies a Williams and opportunity to score. Again good work from the referee.

49 mins: YELLOW CARD - KANIO. The referee correctly sends the number six to the bin for that challenge on Jones and the Lions have the extra man. They desperately need to make it count. Correct call from the referee.

48 mins: Jones takes a crushing high challenge from Kaino and I wouldn't be surprised if the All Blacks' forward spent 10 minutes in the bin.

47 mins: It looks like time is up for Johnny Sexton as he leaves for a head injury assessment. Ben Te'o comes on with Farrell moving back to fly-half.

Itoje is playing a blinder for the Lions and prompts another verse of "Oh Maro Itoje" from the visiting supporters. 

45 mins: But back come the All Blacks once again and some desperate stuff from Williams prevents another score.

41 mins: The second-half is under way and CJ Stander is on for Sean O'Brien. The Lions came back from a nine point deficit last week can they do it again tonight?

What a start for the Lions. Read needlessly tackles Williams and is penalised. Elliot Daly says leave that to me and kicks the penalty from five yards inside his own half. What a kick from the England wing, one of the great kicks in Lions history. 12-9

New Zealand remain Sky Bet's clear favourites to win. Get the latest odds here.

HALF-TIME: That's it. The referee calls time on the first-half and it has been a dominant display from the world champions who fully deserve the advantage having enjoyed 61% of the territory. In fact the Lions will probably settle for a six point deficit as they were on the back-foot for most of those 40 minutes. Two moments of brilliance from Lauampe and Barrett, on there first starts, punishing the Lions. I certainly don't think Warren Gatland's men can have any complaints.

36 mins: TRY - JORDIE BARRETT. Great play from the All Blacks as 20-year-old crosses in his first start. Leinert-Brown and Lauampe both had parts to play in a stunning move from the All Blacks who again find a gap in the Lions defence. Brother Beauden, for the second time tonight, is wide with the conversion.

34 mins: The physios are earning overtime. Vunipola and Sexton are both down now but worryingly Sexton looks in real trouble but battling on. 

31 mins: Jordie Barrett is clattered by Jonathan Davies on half-way and the Lions win a penalty and Farrell takes a quick one and catches the All Blacks cold. New Zealand are penalised and Farrell again makes no mistake with the three points. 7-6 

Read and Sean O'Brien are down, but there will be no stopping the All Black captain as he's back up in his 100th Test. O'Brien is holding his shoulder and looks in pain.

28 mins: The recalled Savea is causing the Lions all kinds of problems out wide with his pace and power. He's answering his critics today.

24 mins: The Lions are under immense pressure and hanging on. Barrett is dictating matters at the moment. Worrying times for Lions' fans.

20 mins: But back come the All Blacks and Savea smashes his way through Liam Williams. There was a bit of Jonah Lomu in that. Another good chance for the hosts. 

19 mins: The Lions finally win a penalty in the 22 and Farrell makes no mistake to reduce the deficit. 7-3

15 mins:  TRY Ngani Lauampe converted by Barrett. Daly finds himself two on one as  Jordie Barrett flicks the ball inside to Lauampe and the centre crashes over unopposed. The referee needlessly called from a TMO to check if there had been a knock-on but no such luck for the Lions. 7-0

12 mins: At last the Lions get over the half-way line with good work from Daly and are held up yards from the line. The ball goes out wide but Farrell's pass is intercepted by Barrett and it goes the length of the field before Davies denies Lauampe. What a break from the All Blacks in a thrilling end to end spell of play.

9 mins: The camera pans to Sonny Bill Williams in the crowd. How disappointed must he be to be missing out today.

7 mins: At last the Lions get their hands on the ball but back come the All Blacks. It's a very strong start from the men in black who are dragging the Lions wide and dictating the play.

5 mins: An impressive start for the hosts and Barrett finds a gap but the recalled Savea lets the ball slip from his grasp with the line begging. Another escape for the men in red.

2 mins: Warburton is penalised harshly early on and Beauden Barrett gets a straight-forward chance to give the All Blacks a three point lead but drags it wide. What a let-off for Lions.  

Sexton kicks off for the Lions and the All Blacks win the first lineout.

0835: We're ready, the challenge has been laid down.   "This is your Everest boys", the immortal words of Jim Telfer ahead the final Test of the 1997 Lions’ tour.

0830: It's time for the New Zealand national anthem and the haka. I can't get enough of the haka, one of the great sporting sights. Here we go, the arrow is set. Spine tingling.

0829: A great moment for Kieran Read as the World Cup winner leads his side out in his 100th Test.

0826: It's a sea of red at Eden Park ten minutes from kick-off.   My nerves are certainly jangling as the Lions come on to the pitch. Apparently the New Zealand Herald has even provided Kiwi supporters a cut-out-and-keep guide on how to out-shout Lions fans. You’ve no chance! 

0825: Legendary All Blacks' hooker Sean Fitzpatrick didn’t have any doubt we would be in this position ahead of the tour. Here’s a quick reminder of how he predicted the series would pan out. “It’s going to be very close. 

“I think they’ll (Lions) will struggle to win the first Test but they could win the second in Wellington and it could go to a decider in Auckland, which the All Blacks will win.” 

Sky Sports’ colleague Scott Quinnell wasn’t quite so close backing the Lions to win the series 2-0 and one match finishing in a draw - once a Lion always a Lion.

0823: And a final word from the two coaches, Warren Gatland and Steve Hansen have said ahead of this do-or-die clash.   

Gatland: "We are all aware of how big this game is and we are expecting a backlash from the All Blacks. But the pleasing thing about the second Test is just how strong we were in the last 10 or 15 minutes, in terms of energy and enthusiasm so we still feel there is another level in us."   

Hansen: "This final match in the series is going to be a cracker. It's the series we expected it to be, as the Lions have quality players. It now comes down to this  - the winner takes all - and that will create its own unique pressures, and it's going to be interesting to see how both sides cope with it. "

0820:  And here’s another omen courtesy of Sky Sports’ Alex Payne, 12 players will start all three tests. That is the same as 1971, the only time the Lions have won a series in New Zealand; 2-1 under a Welsh coach and Welsh captain.   Why not check out Alex's final Notes from New Zealand, a behind the scenes view of this Test series.

0817:   Here are some interesting big match facts:

NZ have won the last 38 matches at Eden Park stretching back to 1994   

France were the last side to beat the All Blacks in July 1994, winning 23-20   

Last week was the first time in 39 matches the All Blacks had failed to score a try

The All Blacks have not lost back-to-back Tests on home soil since 1998    

Steve Hansen has won all 11 of his Tests since taking charge of the All Blacks at Eden Park   

The Lions have played 11 Tests against New Zealand at Eden Park, losing nine, drawing one and winning one. 

0814:   Here are Sky Bet's latest odds:  New Zealand are odds-on to wrap up the series with the Lions 7/2 shots and the draw priced at 20/1. The world champions won the first meeting between the sides at Eden Park 30-15 and are 9/2 shots to claim the series courtesy of a 11-15 point margin. The Lions are available at a Price Boosted 11/2 to the alternative margin of 1-12 points.  

0810:  Is this a lucky omen for the Lions. Today's referee Romain Poite referred the final game of the 2013 tour to Australia when the Lions secured a 41-16 victory over the Wallabies to seal a 2-1 series win.   

The 41-year-old took charge of the recent tour match between the Hurricanes and the Lions, which ended in a 31-31 draw.    Poite has become renowned for his tough stance on scrummaging, which could prove vital today.

0805:  Having a bet on today’s showdown? Still not sure where to put your money? Why not check out Sky Bet’s latest prices and big match Price Boosts. 

Also, why not check out my betting preview, but it’s not something you should read with your breakfast if you are expecting a Lions win!  

0800:  It’s also a huge day for All Blacks skipper Kieran Read, who had such and outstanding game in the first match three weeks ago.   Read becomes the seventh New Zealand player to win 100 caps, following Richie McCaw, Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock, Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu and Mils Muliaina.  

0758:  Let’s get a quick reminder of the teams.   Sam Warburton again leads the tourists in an unchanged 23-man squad named by Warren Gatland. Anthony Watson is fit after turning into Touche Turtle following the challenge from Sonny Bill Williams, while Liam Williams has shaken off a minor leg injury.   

The All Blacks have reacted by including 20-year-old Jordie Barrett will make his first New Zealand start in Saturday's Test series decider. Elsewhere, Ngani Laumape lines up at centre instead of a suspended Sonny Bill Williams, while the prolific Julian Savea is recalled for the ill Rieko Ioane and Israel Dagg switches from full-back to right-wing.

British and Irish Lions team: L Williams, A Watson, J Davies, O Farrell, E Daly, J Sexton, C Murray, M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje, A W Jones, S Warburton (capt), S O'Brien, T Faletau. Replacements: K Owens, J McGrath, K Sinckler, C Lawes, CJ Stander, R Webb, B Te'o, J Nowell.  

New Zealand team: J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt). Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.   

0750:   Auckland has had its fair share of storms this week in the build up to this crunch clash but today it’s dry and mild, ideal conditions for running rugby you’d think and that has to favour the hosts.  

0745:   A very good morning and welcome along to our live coverage of today’s decisive third Test between New Zealand and the British and Irish Lions. I’m Steve Bramley and I’ll be providing you with all the build-up as Warren Gatland’s Lions bid to write their names into rugby folklore.

After the opening match here at Eden Park, which the All Blacks won 30-15, I certainly didn't expect the series to be all square and the Lions are now standing on the cusp of making history and becoming only the second, yes the second, Lions side to win in New Zealand.  

If you have any thoughts on today's showdown why not send them to me at feedback@sportinglife.com.  

See our full big match guide here 

Re-live our second Test live blog here  

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