British and Irish Lions vs All Blacks: Warren Gatland not content as he tasks Lions to make history in New Zealand

On Saturday, in Warren Gatland’s words, 23 players have the chance to make history. The British and Irish Lions have the chance to do what 11 other touring squads have tried and failed to achieve, to beat the All Blacks in their own backyard, and it may just be enough to keep their very existence alive.

They have come an incredibly long way in just five weeks. Written off by the Kiwi media, questioned by their own and losing two warm-up matches along the way, the Lions hardly ensured the smoothest route to this, their Everest – as Jim Telfer so rightly put it 20 years ago. Yet somehow the Lions have the chance to inflict a first series defeat on New Zealand in 46 years, and if they can find a way to win the third Test at Eden Park, it will be one of the most incredible sporting successes for the home nations ever.

The chance to beat the All Blacks with the Lions does not come up all that often. The last one came 24 years ago when, having worked so hard to level the series in Wellington after a narrow first Test loss, the Lions threw it all away at Eden Park. Before that, the last time the tourists even made the final Test with a chance of winning the series came in that virtuoso 1971 series, where the Lions taught the All Blacks how to play beautiful rugby.

2017 has almost been a hybrid of those two tours, but with the series on the cusp of a much-anticipated third Test decider in Auckland, it is the Lions – not the All Blacks – that have taken pride in the way they have played, although Gatland will not take any satisfaction from any respect they have earned if they fail to win this weekend.

“People expected us to come here and kick the leather of it, drive every single lineout, to try and scrummage people to death,” he said on Thursday. “We haven’t done that. We’ve played a good brand and people have been surprised by that, almost reluctant to give us credit for that.

"We’ve scored four tries and they’ve been four great tries. The All Blacks have scored three tries: one was a tap, the other was a bounce went through Liam Williams’ hands from a box kick and the other was a great bit of skill from Kieran Read where he has passed off the floor at a scrum and they’ve scored from that. We’ve played some excellent rugby. I’d like to think we leave here with some respect for the way we have played and will be reflected on Saturday. We’re confident we can improve again and that there is another level.”

That does not mean that the Lions are content with a 2-1 series defeat, no matter how hard it is to beat the All Blacks on their own turf. As Anthony Watson points out, “it’s all about winning on Saturday, going home as 2-1 losers, you’re still a loser”.

So what will decide the series? The Lions must sort out their discipline problem. Last Saturday, they conceded 13 penalties, 10 of which were within Beauden Barrett’s kicking distance, and the only reason why the series is still alive is because the New Zealand fly-half has an off-day with the boot. There will be the same battle at the breakdown, with whoever wins the collision contest and in-turn produces quick ball likely to go on and claim victory.

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And then there will be the referee. Much has been made about the man in the middle – too much for any rugby purists liking – and already talk has started of the role that Frenchman Romain Poite will play on Saturday. Steve Hansen, the All Blacks coach, kicked this off on Wednesday when he questioned the impact of officiating on Test matches.

“I will get into trouble for saying this, but the referees need help because they can’t do what we’re asking them to do, and then they become overly influential in a game,” the New Zealand coach said. “If you have a tight game and it becomes a major factor, you as a fan, you as a journalist, me as a coach, me as a fan, become frustrated by that - and it just chips away at the game. Rather than adding to the game it takes a bit away from it.”

Then came Gatland’s warning. “The message I will hopefully give to the officials tomorrow night when I meet them is we’ve got the confidence and self-belief to win this Saturday and win the series, so all we ask of them is to be open-minded, not to be surprised by us being in front and good enough to win. That’s an important message I am trying to deliver. I am not questioning their integrity or anything. It’s just that sometimes it’s a mindset – the message is just if there are some 50-50 calls, to be open-minded.”

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Such is the marginal gap between victory and defeat, it’s obvious why both coaches are trying to seize the upper hand no matter how they achieve it.

But the beauty will come as the two sides line-up against each other on Saturday. The talking will be over, the coaches’ jobs will be done and it will all come down to two sets of players, desperate to make history.