Just like a World Cup final TWICKENHAM 2015

Angry All Blacks embrace high stakes

Hurt. Angered. Frustrated. You name it, the All Blacks are ready to mine the emotions for a week they’re happy to say already has a World Cup final feel about it.

A shock 24-21 defeat to the numerically and tactically superior British and Irish Lions in Wellington on Saturday night has thrust Steve Hansen’s All Blacks into that most unusual of positions – coming off a defeat to enter a defining test match.

With the series locked at a win apiece, the All Blacks have to extend their 23-year, 38-test win streak at Eden Park on Saturday night to avoid the fate of becoming just the second New Zealand team to go down to the Lions. That’s created a surprisingly monumental final week of this tour, which the All Blacks were embracing as they launched preparations in Auckland yesterday with a gym session and no-holds-barred game review.

The New Zealanders have only lost four times previously on Hansen’s watch, and on each occasion bounced back immediately with a victory.

All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith and lock Brodie Retallick made it clear that Saturday’s loss was still stinging as they reset for the third and final test of the series, even grudgingly accepting the rather selective notion from Lions coach Warren Gatland that they had yet to be ‘‘stressed’’ by the New Zealanders.

‘‘This is the best team in the world and, for two test matches, they really haven’t stressed us. They have squeezed us . . . but we haven’t seen the expansive rugby the All Blacks are known for,’’ Gatland said as his team decamped to Queenstown to start its own preparations.

That clearly hurt Smith. You could see it in his eyes. ‘‘After Saturday’s effort you’d have to [agree with] that,’’ he said. ‘‘But I’m really excited about what we