AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Legacy. It has been one of the words used commonly by the All Blacks as they reflect on their proud history. But rarely have they come up against a side with as rich and varied a past as the British & Irish Lions. For Warren Gatland, that is the challenge he has laid down to his players ahead of Saturday's series-decider at Eden Park. The class of 2017 have a chance to leave a legacy in New Zealand.
The 1971 Lions are still revered in these parts, they are the group which deemed full names superfluous -- you still hear JPR, Willie John, Gareth, Merv, JT and Mighty Mouse mentioned by people who are slightly older than those who would have partied long into the night on Wellington's Courtney Place on Saturday evening.
But that status awaits the Lions if they win on Saturday, according to Gatland. "This group of players, they have an opportunity to leave a bit of a legacy," he said. "There have been 11 Lions tours of New Zealand and only one has ever been won.
"So they have the chance to do something special. You get those moments in your life and you don't want those moments to pass you by and that's what big occasions and big sporting events are about.
"As the match gets closer, the players will start to realise what potentially could happen and what a special moment that could be, winning a series in New Zealand, creating a legacy and creating history for themselves and doing something special."
It was a press conference on Gatland's terms. He was asked about whether this will be a career-defining match for him. No, was the answer as he still has two years left with Wales. The subplot to such a question revolves around whether he will ever get a shot at the All Blacks job. Would he give a hint of his aspirations in that direction? Again, no.
Instead he highlighted their need to improve discipline, how one of the long-term lessons from this tour revolves around the need for longer preparation times. Then there was Gatland's pleasant surprise at their GPS data from the second Test which showed improvement in the fourth quarter, with meterage and intensity increasing. "We know we've got another level in us and that's incredibly exciting that the players feel like if we click we can do something pretty special," was Gatland's take.
But what was slightly different about this group, was how they have remained introspective, almost taking an All Blacks-esque zen to the proceedings.
So leaving a legacy is the challenge, but so too, intertwined with that, is winning respect. Gatland has been underwhelmed by some of the articles written in this part of the world about him, but he takes that on the chin. Instead, he sees respect in the way the opposition treat them, and how their tactics shift, but emphasises how the All Blacks' aura is still very much intact.
"No, the mystique is definitely not lost," Gatland said. "But it's kind of like how the All Blacks going into games not worried about the opposition, just going to pick their own team, play their own game and worry about themselves. That's what we have been doing.
"They've looked like they have picked a team initially to stop our defensive line speed, maybe picked a team now to stop our 10-12 combination. They've changed their game plan and style. I see that as a massive sign of respect of them to us, them looking at us, negating our strengths and threats and that's a positive. Earn the respect on Saturday night and leave with the future of the Lions secure."
Saturday night brings down the curtain on this memorable series. The Lions came in hope, rather than expectation but for just about every rugby fan in the world, this is the situation they would have wanted. One-all, with the series on the line in the final match. For the Lions, they have been charged with leaving a footprint like that famous team did 46 years ago.
"People tried to pigeon hole us that we were going to play a pretty direct, boring game, but I think we've played some great rugby," Gatland said. "We know we've stressed the All Blacks at times and scored some great tries. As a team we feel we've got better in the time we've had together. It's been tough but the atmosphere has been phenomenal.
"Seeing the support we've had from the UK and Ireland has just been incredible. I hope both sets of fans have enjoyed that. It just shows how special the Lions are and it's something we need to protect for the future.
"But you always want to end up as a winner. So for us the focus is on winning the series. That was our ultimate goal. It was having the confidence and belief when we got on the plane that we were good enough to win, even though we were written off from day one."