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When the All Blacks tasted defeat on home soil for the first time in 2,849 days, it is little surprise their coach Steve Hansen declared "losing sucks".
Hansen was speaking after the world champion All Blacks were beaten 24-21 by the British and Irish Lions in Wellington on Saturday evening.
It was a first loss for the All Blacks in New Zealand in 48 Tests, going back eight years, and only their seventh on home soil since 2000.
For the Lions, it was their first triumph over the All Blacks since 1993 and it kept alive their hopes of a first series triumph in New Zealand since 1971.
The Lions' victory levelled the three-Test series at 1-1 and the deciding encounter will take place at Auckland's Eden Park next Saturday, a venue at which the All Blacks have not lost since 1994.
The tourists went down to the All Blacks 30-15 in the opening Test at Eden Park.
Souring the result in Wellington for the All Blacks was the fact they played much of the match without dual international Sonny Bill Williams, who was sent off for a shoulder charge against Lions winger Anthony Watson in the first half to leave the home side with 14 men.
Williams, who will have to front a judiciary hearing on Sunday, became only the third All Black to be sent from the field in a Test and the first in 50 years.
"It doesn't make it any easier to swallow the defeat that we were down to 14," Hansen said after the match.
"Losing sucks if you have 15, 14 or 25 or two. We have to take it on the chin."
What impact did the dismissal of Williams, a two-time NRL premiership-winning player, have on the result?
The score was locked at 3-3 in the 25th minute when referee Jerome Garces raised the red card to send Williams on his way, an incident which saw Hansen make an interesting move.
Instead of keeping the remaining 14 players on the field, Hansen opted to replace back rower Jerome Kaino with centre Ngani Laumape, meaning the All Blacks were reduced to seven forwards while they maintained the perfect complement of seven backs.
It appeared to be a masterstroke, as the All Blacks led by nine points at one stage in the second half.
But late tries to Toby Faletau and Connor Murray, and an Owen Farrell penalty goal in the 77th minute, eventually put the Lions in the lead.
Hansen noted the challenge of playing with 14 men but he pointed out Williams had not made matters easy for himself with a style of tackle that was his trademark during his first stint in the NRL.
"The impact of the red card was pretty obvious," Hansen said.
"Sonny didn't use his arms so put himself at risk and he collected young Anthony's head and put him at risk, so we don't want that and the referee deemed it a red card so off you go boy.
"If the ref says it's a red card then you don't have a say in it.
"There's now a process and we'll accept that decision."
Lions coach Warren Gatland added the card had also been instrumental in the outcome of the match, with the All Blacks unable to attack through the midfield as much as they wanted.
"It was a significant loss for the All Blacks in terms of a key man and we are aware of that," Gatland said.
"There is no doubt that without Sonny Bill Williams there it created some opportunities for us."
The All Blacks were not alone in experiencing disciplinary issues, with Lions prop Mako Vunipola given a yellow card in the second half, while flanker Sean O'Brien will face a judiciary hearing following a swinging arm on Waisake Naholo.
ABC/Reuters
Topics: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, new-zealand