The Lions' drawn series with the All Blacks has provided a glimpse of how to beat the world champions - and they can be dethroned at the World Cup in Japan in 2019, believes former Lions coach Clive Woodward.
Woodward, who was at the helm of the disastrous 2005 Lionstour to New Zealand, wrote in his column for the Daily Mail there has been a "huge swing in power from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere since the 2015 World Cup" and that the Lions struck a blow for British and Irish rugby by showing the way forward in how to beat the All Blacks on a more regular basis.
"The All Blacks are clearly not quite as good as we thought they were, but their raw potential and talent is still amazing," Woodward wrote, before questioning the quality of a number of All Blacks - including Beauden Barrett, Sam Cane and the midfield.
"Beauden Barrett is a very fine player but he is not Dan Carter yet and neither is Sam Cane a Richie McCaw. Replacing those two iconic players was never going to be simple.
"The All Blacks had injuries and suspensions at centre but none of the newcomers is a Conrad Smith or a Ma'a Nonu, the other two big retirees since 2015."
Woodward also highlighted the All Blacks' "inability" to deal with the pressure during key moments of the series.
"The other thing that struck me is how the pressure got to New Zealand, including red and yellow cards. Especially in the final minutes of the last two tests, this suggests a vulnerability we haven't seen for a while," Woodward wrote.
"The true value of the tour for the Home Nations teams, I hope, will be seen in Japan in 2019, but I feel the Lions may just have poked a hornets' nest in New Zealand.
"There is saying in New Zealand: 'Go hard or go home' and we can expect the Kiwis to be going very hard indeed over the next two years. It is up to the Home Nations to go even harder."
The All Blacks will face South Africa, Italy and two yet to be determined qualifiers in Pool B of the 2019 tournament.
