Read our match report here.
New Zealand, though, held firm in the face of some outstanding rugby by the Lions as they triumphed 30-15 and made it 39 successive games unbeaten at Eden Park. The Lions have a team who can do that.
"We have got to be a little bit more clinical, we are making some good breaks we just have to finish them off".
The Lions nearly struck with another wonder score early in the second half - Williams, Davies and Daly were again heavily involved - but New Zealand had just enough in defence to deny them, then Watson set off on a weaving run as the game continued at a relentless pace.
Promising breaks came to nothing and at the other end lapses in concentration were ruthlessly punished by the All Blacks as Codie Taylor scored a first-half try before Rieko Ioane added two second-half touchdowns.
The All Blacks were always going to be up for the First Test and, boy, were they fired up.
They will have their gripes and Johnny Sexton aired them immediately after Jaco Peyper's final whistle - approaching the South African and telling him that "you gave them everything". Critics, including All Blacks mentor Steve Hansen, have dismissed Gatland's "Warrenball" tactics as one-dimensional. They were tough enough and smart enough to play to the referee's disregard for certain offences. The Lions relaxed for a fraction and that is all it needs.
Peter O'Mahony captains the Lions against the All Blacks.
Sam Cane was the leader in the battle for turnovers for the Kiwis and his all-round performance was huge. Both areas need to be addressed ahead of Wellington. The first arriving player was too often passive or upright, allowing the likes of Cane to get a grip on the ball. In Conor Murray, they have a kicking scrum-half who can land the ball on a sixpence.
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And then Anthony Watson's offload went loose after he had beaten three defenders off a Williams switch pass. A missed conversion but it left the Lions trailing just 13-8 at half-time after Barrett and Owen Farrell had earlier traded penalties.
"I think it was more our ability to play off nine and get behind them that really hurt them and took away what they wanted to do".
Fine margins, and all that.
The first of the linebreaks could have secured the Lions the opening try in the first two minutes but winger Elliot Daly was bundled into touch after centre Jonathan Davies had stormed through the All Blacks midfield.
"They have their best players across the four teams, and they play their own style, but a Test match is about who is willing to put their body on the line for the longest".
In his first test selection Gatland has also gambled, experimenting on a number of combinations that he has not yet seen perform as a unit on this tour, most notably the back-three where it appears as if the Lions are going out in serious attack mode, no Warren-Ball in evidence, Gatland has publically stated "The Lions need to be bold".
"I know this is a very good All Blacks team, probably the best and most consistently successful All Blacks team we've had".
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