We’ll fight fire with fire, Plumtree says

WELLINGTON: New Zealand assistant coach John Plumtree says Australia got away with several offtheball incidents in the drawn first test in Wellington and that if the referee for Sunday’s second match is similarly lenient, then the All Blacks will fight fire with fire.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster was particularly unhappy with some of the treatment dished out to Richie Mo’unga, saying on Monday the first fiveeighth was the victim of several late tackles that were not picked up by New Zealand referee Paul Williams.

Assistant coach Plumtree continued that theme yesterday, saying he hoped the referee for the second Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park, Australia’s Angus Gardner, would be more vigilant.

‘‘That type of play on the field has got to be dealt with by the ref,’’ Plumtree told media in Auckland.

‘‘There were several occasions where there was some offball incidents, but it has got to be dealt with properly on the field.’’

Plumtree said if the Wallabies adopted similar tactics on Sunday that went unchecked, then the All Blacks would have no choice but to give the visitors a dose of their own medicine in front of what is expected to be a soldout crowd of 47,000.

‘‘If their intent is greater than ours around offball incidents, then we’ve just got to make sure we have a crack back at them,’’ he said. — Reuters