Hansen upset ABs’ achievements ‘hijacked’

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has insisted his side respect the Wallabies and denied alleging Michael Cheika or his team had anything to do with planting the listening device found in the team’s hotel in Sydney in August.

Hansen, who fronted media following the increasingly-fraught conference featuring Cheika and skipper Stephen Moore, appeared frustrated the test had been “hijacked” by the various issues raised by Cheika.

Told Cheika suggested they didn’t respect Australia, Hansen said: “That’s rubbish. We respect them immensely. What he’s got to remember is, just because over the years there’s a fierce competition and things happen, it doesn’t mean you don’t respect them. Our guys respect them a lot — we want to war with them — so at what point is winning meaning you’re not respecting them?”

Cheika and Moore were also extremely annoyed at the “disrespect” shown by the Herald in printing a cartoon of Cheika in a clown suit, something Hansen said Cheika shouldn’t be too upset about.

“You’ve got to be bigger than that, haven’t you?” Hansen said. “I’ve been dressed up as a clown myself. You don’t want to take it to heart, otherwise it will break you. We’ve got no control over what the media do.”

Hansen added: “This conference tonight seems to have been hijacked by something that’s really got nothing to do with rugby and someone who’s feeling a little big aggrieved by something you guys have done — making him be a clown.”

Hansen said of Spygate: “All... I’ve read about the bugging, I don’t think anyone was accused. We didn’t have any idea who did it. Was he feeling bad about that?

“We haven’t heard anything,” he added. “It’s not an issue, the bugging thing. We found a bug and handed it over to the police. We don’t know who’s done it and don’t really care. We’ve let it go and moved on.”

Yet another controversial issue was Henry Speight’s try being disallowed following Dane Haylett-Petty’s shoulder charge on Julian Savea, but Hansen said that decision was clear-cut. “Did he change his ground and drop his shoulder into [Savea]? Yes. Is that allowed? No. Unfortunately, that’s the way it was.

“Sometimes decisions don’t go your way and you can’t get all sulky about it. It’s a hard game to ref and some days you get some things right and some days you don’t.”

Apart from all that, Hansen said, seven tries were scored, a world record set and plenty of good rugby was played. “Don’t lose sight of that when you put your fingers on the typewriter,” he said.