Hansen takes a crack at Gatland

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has scoffed at Warren Gatland’s comments about ‘‘hating’’ the tour of New Zealand, telling him to get out of coaching if he doesn’t enjoy it.

The New Zealand-born Lions coach said he had been brought down by the constant negativity of the media during the Lions tour to New Zealand this year.

Those comments astounded Hansen, who said it was part of the job of coaching international rugby. ‘‘I’ve only just heard it [Gatland’s comments] because I don’t read too much about what coaches are saying and doing,’’ Hansen told Radio Sport.

‘‘Why would you hate coaching the Lions? If you hate coaching, don’t do it. I love coaching any team I’ve been involved in - that’s the reason I’m doing it.

‘‘I’m lucky enough to coach the All Blacks, which is fantastic, if you are lucky enough to coach the Lions it is also fantastic.’’

Hansen said the sort of pressure Gatland faced here with the Lions was ‘‘what you get all the time with the All Blacks’’.

‘‘Welcome to our world. You are under constant pressure, constant scrutiny. People expect you to be able to front up and do the job well.

‘‘In the All Blacks’ case, we are expected to win every test match and win it well.

‘‘You don’t want to change those expectations - they drive your own inner expectations to be even higher. It drives that necessity to want to always be better.’’

Hansen said he loved the fact that New Zealand fans ‘‘expect us to aim high’’ and ‘‘expect us to win’’.

‘‘That’s exactly what we should be doing. Everyone in our group is trying to do that - to win every test match with attractive rugby.

‘‘Is it possible to do all the time? I’m not sure. But there is nothing stopping you from trying to. And I wouldn’t be doing the job if I didn’t still have the same passion.’’

Meanwhile, Hansen said the All Blacks’ Bledisloe Cup defeat in Brisbane last weekend was partly attributable to a lack of test experience.

‘‘We’ve got some trying circumstances at the moment with nine or 10 players out,’’ he told Radio

Sport. ‘‘That’s on top of losing all that legendary talent after the World Cup - that’s over 50 per cent of your team.

‘‘It is a heck of a great challenge for us to come through, but next year when all nine are available then watch what happens because we’ve grown depth and experience.’’

"Welcome to our world. You are under constant pressure, constant scrutiny. People expect you to be able to front up and do the job well."

Steve Hansen's message to Warren Gatland