"We had a good couple of days together to finish off the tour. We'd been under the microscope for six to eight weeks so it was nice to have a few days to enjoy each other's company and reflect on what we'd done.
"In defence of Kyle, he did absolutely nothing wrong. I feel a bit sorry for him, he's got a bit of press like that, but actually the situation was handled pretty well and Kyle is absolutely fine."
A captivating series ended in a 1-1 draw after Saturday's deciding test at Eden Park finished in a 15-all draw, strengthening the Lions' position in the rugby calendar.
Four days later Warburton, wheeling the trophy shared with the All Blacks on his luggage trolley as Warren Gatland's men touched down at Heathrow, could still take pride in the outcome while remaining aware of where the sport's true power lies.
"In hindsight we're pretty pleased with what we achieved," he said.
"Coming into the tour not many people gave us much of a chance, the odds were against us, so to surprise a few people by drawing was good.
"But without doubt New Zealand are the best team in the world. They're back-to-back world champions. Just because we drew, it doesn't make us the best.
"They've earned the right to call themselves that because they've played so well over the last 10 years."
