Coach Warren Gatland and his red brigade are in Queenstown for some well-deserved R&R and they might as well be chucking dwarfs across the counter at some waterhole for all anyone cares.
If they win this Saturday it'll be a resounding rebuttal on any debate on the Lions' worthiness and longevity for future tours, if it isn't already after last Saturday's series equaliser.
On the other hand, the All Blacks are undergoing a point-in-time evaluation of player opinion, almost by default.
The Men in Black - those who take the field - need to voice their opinions on their work environment.
It doesn't matter what frenetic fans think they should measure up as but how they feel in an exercise where there are no right or wrong answers.
Whether you are Shag's favourites because you delivered at the Rugby World Cup, whether you sit in the back of the bus or whether you have the task of doing everyone's soiled laundry isn't relevant.
Don't ask the hard questions and the chances are the fragile fabric of unity and strength will start fraying.
For instance, how does Kaino feel about having uncapped centre Ngani Laumape running to displace him as a flanker when Sonny Bill Williams had a brain fade?
Was it the right option from Shag and co?
The potency and versatility of the backline is something that has been thrashed endlessly season in, season out so it raises the question why a forward - not just anyone but a battle axe - for a back.
The implication is Laumape is a like for like with SWB but the reality is the talented Hurricane made a few schoolboy errors although Fekitoa, on the bench, was my first pick.
Is he in the bad books for petulance for going fishing abroad?
Utility back Reiko Ioane has been conspicuous in his absence for the best part of two tests so he's out, despite scoring a try in the first test, but, like Jordie Barrett, he's a newbie although the latter is in even though his tactical kicking was suspect in the mid-week stalemate with the Hurricanes.
The question is whether Hansen is putting a dollar each way in banking on his rookies as well as trusting his warhorses.
If it's like a World Cup final, why persist on sending boys to do man's job?
That explains winger Savea's return to the equation but, on his performance in the Canes jersey, makes one go 'Mmm'.
If Naholo had been cleared than he would have raised eyebrows just as SBW's victim, Anthony Watson, did, not to mention hamstrung Ryan Crotty who would have triggered off stories akin to Naholo's Fijian medicine for a broken leg in 2015.
Dagg dropped catches and hesitated when try-scoring No 8 Taulupe Faletau approached him about 10m from the line.
In fact, it's funny how when a team lose those who were the world's best suddenly become muppets.
Good players don't become bad overnight just because they have lost a game.
They certainly don't lose their composure. Kicking points again becomes an issue for the ABs, inclement weather or not.
Lions captain Sam Warburton had alluded to upping the physicality stakes before the second test and delivered.
Beaudy Barrett looked rattled once prop Mako Vunipola went after him like a pitbull.
Like Vunipola, newbie lock Maro Itoje flirted with rules but remained loyal to physicality in keeping Brodie Retallick and Whitelock honest.
Gatland dropping Vunipola will be straying from the obvious in-your-face game plan.
Oddly enough, Kaino was accused of performing a similar role in trying to hound Lions halfback Conor Murray so that makes the decision to yank him off the park even more enigmatic.
A lot has been made of prop Tadhg Furlong's charge but look closely and you'll find only Kaino wrapped him up as three red shirts homed in. Read was the only black shirt in the frame but kept his distance.
Where was the AB's cavalry?
By sacrificing Kaino, the ABs exposed their backline to the Lions pack and watched their confidence gradually erode.
What did Read say and do on finding himself outside the comfort zone?
To suggest Dagg and Faletau was a mismatch ignores Murray's ball-and-all tackle of SBW.
Bringing in Courtney Lawes, Kyle Sinckler, CJ Stander, Ben Te'o and Jack Nowell off the bench somewhat eclipses the ABs' bench, especially among the forwards.
All the talk is about discipline and yet gamesmanship was the difference - that is, pushing the rules to the limit and not getting pinged for it - in a test where Lions transgressed more than the All Blacks.
Softly spoken Itoje goaded ABs hooker Codie Taylor in the lineouts and worked in tandem with Alun Wyn Jones to nullify Retallick and Whitelock.
Oh, and a penny for what Eddie Jones and Brian O'Driscoll make of it all.
