MAYBE it was an omen that James Bond actor Daniel Craig was present at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Saturday.

Craig joined the dressing-room celebrations as the Lions party started in earnest: their first series victory since Neil Jenkins put the Springboks to the sword in 1997 sealed by a breathtaking final quarter when the try floodgates finally opened.

But if Warren Gatland’s Lions were shaken by second Test defeat at Melbourne a week earlier, it only served to stir them into unforgettable action.

And no-one encapsulated that more than Blues star Leigh Halfpenny, whose 21-point haul put Gatland’s men on the road to legendary status.

The Wales full-back broke two records as Australia were swamped 41-16 – and Halfpenny was named Player of the Series.

Halfpenny’s 21-point haul – he also had a hand in creating tries for Jonathan Sexton and George North – was a Lions Test record, while his 49 points in the series beat his goal-kicking mentor Jenkins’ previous best of 41 of 16 years ago.

But he revealed it was a kick he missed – a last-gasp penalty from 50 metres that would have given the Lions victory the previous weekend and secured the series a game early – that drove him on.

“It was hard after the game, I was pretty down. It was tough, really tough,” he said.

“I had the chance to win it for the Lions and I didn’t take it.

“That is what all the hard work is for, for moments like that. I was devastated at not being able to do it.

“It was touch and go, that kick. I felt if I connected with it I would make it, but I didn’t connect and it took me a few days to shake it off.

“But we had another chance, and people made that clear to me we had another chance. Not often in sport do you get a second chance.

“I had to put it behind me, but I also used the experience. I didn’t want to feel like that again.

“I used it as a motivation because the disappointment can stay with you. I wanted to be a part of a Lions series win, and it helped me today.

“I’ve worked harder and harder in training, and it has all paid off.”

Among the well-wishers in the Lions dressing room afterwards was big screen 007 Craig, and Halfpenny admitted the whole experience was a surreal one.

“I didn’t realise he (Craig) was in the changing room. But it was incredible to see James Bond in there,” Halfpenny added.

“I guess it shows you what it means.

“The contrast in dressing rooms after games can always be extreme.

“Last week was as low as I ever want to feel, but this is just incredible.

“I had the chance to win it in Melbourne – we had the chance to kill it there.

“We weren’t able to do that, and it was a case of picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off.

“We had a few days break to relax, and that really helped. It has been a long tour and that helped us refresh.

“As a kid you have a dream of pulling on a Lions jersey. But I never dreamt of anything like this.

“To play like that and win like that is something that will live with me forever.

“It’s amazing to be a part of a Lions Test series win.

“It’s why you work so hard, for moments like this. We played so well, but we always felt we had that kind of performance in us.

“We have supported each other as a squad from the start, and we’ve all worked hard.

“We are delighted with this – we’ve made history.”

Halfpenny’s former Blues team-mate, Jamie Roberts, was named Lions Player of the Series in South Africa four years ago, but this time his impact was limited because of injury.

However, Roberts was passed fit for the final Test and put the cherry on the Lions cake when he picked the perfect angle to run in for the tourists’ fourth try.

“`We spoke about keeping our heads and played some really clinical rugby,” he said.

“It was straight down the line and our scrum was dominant.”

Skipper-for-the-night Alun Wyn Jones added: “It’s a pretty indescribable feeling. If you ask me on Tuesday or Wednesday what it was like, I’ll probably be able to describe it to you, but at the minute I’m outside the moment if you like.

“There was a lot said about selection in the week but we’ve proved that northern hemisphere rugby is in pretty good shape, especially with all the fans who came out.

“On Tuesday and Wednesday we probably had two of the worst training days we’ve had all tour and we fronted up and the scoreline reflected what we wanted to do, which was to represent our four nations with pride.

“We wanted to win the collision and the breakdown. Australia did that in the first Test and we did in the second and it was going to come down to that again.

“The scrum had been going well all tour but we hadn’t had the change out of it that we wanted in the first two Tests, but credit to the front-row boys and replacements for giving us that consistency.”