When it comes to the situation the Wallabies now find themselves in, few can empathise more with Joe Schmidt's men than Michael Hooper.
Having played in the third Test in the 2013 series, Australia's longest serving captain understands the emotional challenges that comes with losing a Lions series but believes the side is blossoming into a dangerous outfit under the New Zealander's guidance.
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"I thought they were as good as any team could be on the weekend for that first 40 minutes," Hooper told Rugby.com.au on Tuesday.
"They were proper in all facets, physicality. The only probably judgment on them would be letting some tries in a bit easily. Obviously the Lions got into the 22 and managed to take away points. But aside from that, they were playing a great style of footy, powerful, mixing it up with the backs, back-stepping up, everything like that.
"Their ability to change that from the week before was awesome."
Hooper has been at the coal face of several discussions in the fallout from Saturday's game, with several debates with Jamie Roberts.
However, despite the controversy, the 125-capped Australian believes the discourse won't take away from a stellar test match between the two sides.
"It is what it is," Hooper admitted.
"I don't think people are skirting around the fact that it was just a great test match...a game's never on one decision.
The amount of decisions that [Andrea] Piardi had to make across that game, and I thought he was a very good ref, performed very well for that game. But everything's highlighted on that last moment, which is sometimes unfair. I'm not upset about it, because that's kind of the game."
Following the loss, Hooper believes the experience of Harry Wilson will become even more important to get the side up for a final test in Sydney.
"I don't think he has to rally the troops too much," he said.
"I hope that he's actually pushing to allow the players time just to come to terms with that game because that would have hurt them. They'd be angry, and there'd be all these different types of emotions.
"Just getting to a point where they can accept that and then turn it around, that's what we saw on the weekend, the second game of the series. It was a mental change that brought them, with a couple of extra players, that brought them into that contest. So they need the same thing next week.
"I don't think as a player you see the amount that we see, now being on the outside. You're preparing for the match, you're seeing the lead-up matches, but you're viewing it very analytically.
"You're removed from the energy that we see and the Lions fans walking around everywhere. You see it on the bus going to training or whatever, but you're kind of removed. I think there's no way in dancing around the fact that that would have been a huge emotional toll for the players.
"They got up to that level, and it would feel like it would be stolen from them, in a way. It's more on the results that take their toll on you. So that's why I say you've got to give it time just to breathe and get back up and get back on the horse."
Hooper believes that, with the maturity shown in the improved performances under Schmidt, the Wallabies will be able to bounce back in Sydney - and a win there would be crucial in the context of their broader development towards the 2027 World Cup.
"You know it's going to be a big cauldron," he said. "It's going to be a full house and the players are going to have that.
"Yeah, OK, the series is lost, but every time you get to put on a jersey, it's token to say, but they'll be getting up for that. But then there's also wanting to be that team that, if they want to compete here at the 2027 World Cup, they've got to be consistent.
"They've got to build depth in the squad. These are the opportunities they get to do that at a place that the World Cup final will be.
"There's huge carrots whatever perspective you want to have on it."
