Andy Farrell issues response to whether he wants to coach the British and Irish Lions for their 2029 tour of New Zealand
While his team couldn't seal a whitewash against the Wallabies on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 22-12 defeat in torrid conditions in Sydney, the Lions come away from Australia with a 2-1 series victory thanks to their huge comeback victory in Melbourne last week.
Farrell paid homage to his team, revealing that after the years of planning the tour has been one of the best experiences of his life.
So, would he put his name forward to take the Lions to New Zealand in 2029?
'I've loved every single minute of it but that's a long time off, isn't it?,' he said, cutting a coy figure after being asked the question during an interview on Sky Sports.
'It's been the time of our lives. I know it seems a bit dramatic but it's the truth,' he added.
'We got to create a special memory together. I'm unbelievably proud to be associated with this group.
'This has been a long time in the planning but the best weeks eight weeks of our lives also.'
Having sealed the Lions first series win in 12 years, Farrell will no doubt be the favourite to take the side to New Zealand.
Daily Mail Sport columnist, Sir Clive Woodward, also believes that the Ireland boss should stay on for their next tour.
The Ireland coach will now return home and is looking ahead to a trip to see Oasis at Croke Park next week.
But before that, the former cross-code rugby star only had one thing on his mind.
'I can't wait to get into the changing rooms and say what I need to say to this group,' he added.
'I know we're disappointed but we should be unbelievably proud of what we achieved as a group. Lions tours are tough and to do what we've done last week and put the series in the bag, upon reflection after tonight, I'm sure we'll be super proud of the achievements.
'How we got the job done in that type of theatre will live with us forever. These lads have been an absolute dream to work with.'
While he praised his side, he also hailed the Wallabies, who 'deserved to win the match.'
'They played the conditions better than us and we overplayed at times and gave them that score that was difficult to claw back,' Farrell added.
The Lions looked lacklustre during the match, with Australia taking a firm grip on the game in the opening seven minutes.
Joseph Suaalii drew in two Lions defenders to set up Dylan Pietsch on the left wing for a try in the first seven minutes of the match.
With the Lions going into the sheds scoreless at half-time, things would go from bad to worse as they lost James Ryan after he was struck on the head by the knee of Will Skelton in a brutal head knock.
The rains continued to fall and just after play was halted for Ryan's head injury, referees temporarily suspended the match due to lightning strikes in the area.
Proceedings resumed after 30 minutes, but the rain continued to fall, and a handling error cost the Lions dearly, with Max Jorgensen picking up a fumble by Bundee Aki before racing down the wing to score a second try.
Jac Morgan, who has had a brilliant tour, came off the bench to pull a try back for the Lions, driving over for their first score of the match in the 61st minute.
Aussie legend Nic White signed off his international rugby career in style, enjoying a fine performance before leaving the footy pitch to a huge round of applause from the fans inside the Accor Stadium.
His replacement, Tate McDermott came on and added another dimension to the match, utilising his lightning-quick speed to skirt over from close range and extend Australia's lead.
The Lions didn't relent as they sought to pull off another late comeback, with Will Stuart crossing the line in the final minute of the match. But it was too little, too late for Farrell's side.
While the Lions were a shade of their previous selves during this match, struggling to compete with the Aussies at the breakdown, Tadhg Beirne admits that his side gave too many penalties away.
'I wouldn't say we struggled to get up for the game. I thought some of our defensive sets were excellent. It was probably just the penalties — creeping offside once or twice — that gave them more chances,' the player of the series told Sky Sports.
'But the number of times we pushed them back when they kept coming at us, I thought our defence was brilliant. So it wasn't about energy; it was about accuracy and discipline. That let us down today.
'On another day, we wouldn't have made those errors and we'd have won both. Credit to Australia — now it's time to get back to enjoying the moment.'
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