Angst in Auckland where Lions romance is far from dead

The crowds lined the streets of Auckland on Thursday to welcome their heroes back to the big city with a grand parade, tens of thousands of them braving the rain to salute the champions.

Naturally enough there was a haka to kick things off before the trophy and team in black began their journey down the main thoroughfare, Queen St, towards the Viaduct Basin.

It sounds like another day of adulation for the All Blacks, back-to-back world champions in 2011 and 2015 as they re-entered the city gates ready to slay some Lions in this morning’s third and series-deciding Test at Eden Park. Yet the parade was not for Steve Hansen and his side, it was to honour a different Team New Zealand, the yachtsmen that were bringing the America’s Cup back home after 17 years.