Andy Farrell hopes his British & Irish Lions, after they have dried off, iced their bruises and reflected, will leave Australia with only pride to declare.

Bittersweet was the word of the moment as the Head Coach and his players admitted frustration at a defeat in Sydney that concluded a hard-earned Test series win.

The pre-match talk had been all about the tourists completing a rare clean sweep - a result that would have secured Farrell’s side a special place in the pantheon of Lions legend.

But the Wallabies are not the kind of team to become a footnote in someone else’s story. Inspired by their smallest and largest players – scrum half Nic White and bruising forward Will Skelton - they fully deserved their 22–12 victory in monsoon conditions in Sydney.

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History will show just how fine the margins were across this series, with the Lions edging the hosts by a single point overall and leading for only 81 of the 240 minutes played.

“There’s frustration because we wanted to win every game, but the best team won here,” said Farrell. “It might take one or two beers, but they should be unbelievably proud of what they’ve achieved on this Tour.

“The training and application this week has been really good, but the game just got away from us in the end. These lads have been playing for so many months, perhaps it was one game too many.

“It’s been the time of our lives. I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but it’s the truth.

“We got to create a special memory together. I’m unbelievably proud to be associated with this group.

“This has been a long time in the planning - the best eight weeks of our lives.

“Lions Tours are tough, and to do what we did last week and put the series in the bag, upon reflection after tonight, I’m sure we’ll be super proud of the achievement.”

Farrell admitted he had never experienced drama quite like the past fortnight, from the thrilling last-ditch win in Melbourne to a wet and wild finale in Sydney, where the second half was halted for 40 minutes as lightning flashed around the stadium.

“Rigor mortis was setting in,” he joked. “We’ve seen it all on this Tour haven’t we? The lads stayed relaxed enough, but Australia hit us hard when we restarted.

“It’s a bittersweet moment, winning the series but losing here. It’s been an incredible journey and we’ve loved every moment of it.”

Dan Sheehan assumed the captaincy when Maro Itoje was forced off following a head injury assessment in the first half. He admitted the loss stung, despite the Lions having already wrapped up the series in front of a record 90,000 crowd in Melbourne a week earlier.

“The Wallabies came out firing in extremely physical, tough conditions — full credit to them. What a series; every game has been close,” said Sheehan.

“It is disappointing, to be honest. It’s not what we wanted and it leaves a bit of a sour taste.

“It’s been a one-of-a-kind journey for me, and we’ve already arranged to come back in 12 years for a reunion.”

Tadhg Beirne was one of three Lions captains on the night. His commanding performances across the series earned the Munster forward the Player of the Series award - a particularly satisfying accolade given that some had even questioned his selection.

“It’s hard to ignore when people are tagging you on social media and saying you don’t deserve it and it’s right in front of your face. I used it as motivation,” said Beirne.

“I was unsure whether I’d be selected, so when I saw my name it felt like an opportunity - and I needed to step up.

“Of course, the medal is special and the series win was special too. We celebrated that last week. It’s tough to ignore this result, because the goal was to win again.

“Credit to Australia: they came out strong, handled the conditions well, and unfortunately we couldn’t get the job done. But we still won the series, and that’s what matters most.

“I wouldn’t say we struggled to get up for the game. I thought some of our defensive sets were excellent. It was probably just the penalties — creeping offside once or twice — that gave them more chances.”