Hansen disappointed with media portrayal of Gatland

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has criticised the New Zealand media for their portrayal of British and Irish Lions boss Warren Gatland as a clown.

New Zealand can claim a series victory over the Lions in Saturday’s second Test in Wellington after winning the first Test in Auckland 30-15.

The series has been set against a backdrop of a war of words between the two coaches, with Gatland questioning the All Blacks’ tactics and claiming Hansen’s men had targeted scrum-half Conor Murray illegally in the Eden Park opener.

Reacting to Gatland’s comments the New Zealand Herald produced a caricature of him wearing a clown nose, which did not sit well with Hansen.

“You guys are having a field day at the moment between Gats and I, so I am not feeding it,” Hansen told a media conference.

“I think it is really disappointing. It’s one thing to have a bit of banter and then you guys beef it up to make it bigger than it really is. I have heard you say that I don’t like him and we won’t have a beer.

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— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) June 29, 2017

“I have got a lot of respect for him. I think he is a good coach. I have got a lot of respect for the Lions, they are a good team.

“To come out and do that, you are ridiculing somebody that doesn’t deserve it. At the end of the day, we are all coaches trying to do what we think is right.

“Sometimes, people don’t always agree with what we do, but that’s okay, you are allowed to have your opinion.

“But to ridicule someone is not right. It’s a bit disappointing, really.

“I read somewhere where I lashed out at Warren Gatland. I haven’t lashed out at Warren Gatland at all. I have got a lot of respect for him, I am looking forward to having a beer with him and a chuckle about life.

“We’ve got a lot of common interests. He likes racing horses, so do I; he coaches Wales, I’ve been through that experience myself.

“It’s the media that ramp it up because it sells you guys newspapers. Who am I to say ‘stop it’? But I do look at it and think that’s not actually how it went.”