Hansen happy to flush the dunny and move on

The folly of telling tales out of school was shown up on Thursday.

‘‘Guess what we’ve found, Steve,’’ was the tenor of questions put to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, after naming the team to meet the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

It all had started on Sunday with Lions coach Warren Gatland and allegations about All Blacks flanker Jerome Kaino tickling up Conor Murray at Eden Park. Then that was relayed to the All Blacks and their reaction back to Gatland and on and flaming on.

Lions prop Mako Vunipola was yesterday’s naughty boy. He’d done something to All Blacks Anton LienertBrown and Owen Franks during the first test and didn’t that make the Lions hypocrites for criticising Kaino.

Not everything that comes out of Hansen’s mouth is worthy of a clap, but this was. ‘‘We’ve got citing commissioners now and if they don’t see it, just move on,’’ Hansen said.

Not to mention a referee, touch judges and a Television Match Official scrutinising things in real time.

‘‘It’s a hard game we play and there’s going to be times when people unintentionally step over the line and do something that they might regret later and that’s been happening for the ages,’’ said Hansen.

Just like on Tuesday night, when Lions lock Iain Henderson almost dumped Hurricane Jordie Barrett on his head. It was an incident Hansen likened to what happened to 2005 Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll, at the hands of All Blacks Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu.

‘‘I’m just pleased he got a yellow card and nothing else,’’ Hansen said of Henderson. ‘‘He didn’t do it intentionally, but in the heat of the moment his skills at the breakdown to clean him [Barrett] out haven’t been right. So he’s paid a price, got 10 minutes in the bin and move on from it.’’

Hansen has a policy of not citing opposition players, believing that’s what the commissioner ‘‘gets paid for’’.

‘‘Rugby’s a big boy’s game, played by big boys and people with character and if you thought something was intentional you would [consider citing]. But there’s a lot of things that happen in the heat of the moment and they’re definitely not intentional.’’

Which is what recalled Lions captain Sam Warburton had to say yesterday too. Benched for the first test, Warburton replaces Peter O’Mahony as blindside flanker and skipper, and played down the supposed-Vunipola and Kaino indiscretions when they were put to him.

‘‘I’ve probably played nearly 200 games of professional rugby and that happens every single game. It’s little mental edges that players like to get over each other,’’ Warburton said of Vunipola pushing Lienert-Brown.

‘‘With the incident on Conor, forwards take that responsibility and we should look after him better as a forward pack. Stuff off the ball goes on every game.

‘‘Players are always trying to wind each other up and get into each other but it’s all handshakes afterwards. I’ve spoken to most of the Kiwi guys and they’re a great bunch of lads, so none of the guys have taken anything personally.’’