Coach: Hansen a little bit worried
GATLAND: ALL BLACKS SUPREMO’S BARBS LAUGHED OFF
Lions beef up squad with the addition of six Scots, Welsh stars.
Rotorua
Aconfident British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland celebrated the convincing win over the Maori All Blacks by claiming it was Steve Hansen who was “worried” a week before the first Test.
All Blacks coach Hansen has been firing barbs at Gatland, accusing him of having only one style of play, claiming inside knowledge of the Lions reinforcements and saying New Zealand’s thumping 78-0 over Samoa on Friday was “just the start”.
After biting his tongue for a week, Gatland fired back after the Lions overcame early tour difficulties to look sharp and welldrilled as they comprehensively outplayed the Maori All Blacks 3210 in Rotorua on Saturday.
“He is a little bit more worried than he normally is, saying these comments about us, things he knows about or doesn’t know about. That is normally a sign of a man that is a little bit worried,” Gatland said of Hansen.
“It’s unlike Steve and maybe he is worried by potentially how good this team can be.”
The Kiwi-born, Wales coach also defended the harmony in the Lions bulging squad, dismissing Hansen’s allegation that they had split into a likely Test line-up and the rest.
“There is no way we are divided into two,” he said.
Gatland has dismissed midweek losses to the Auckland and Blues and Otago Highlanders as part of a learning process with winning the Test series the goal starting with the first Test in Auckland next Saturday.
He also defended calling in six extra players from the Wales and Scotland squads, who are already in the southern hemisphere, so he could have two squads of 23 and Test players would not be required for midweek duty.
He said it was similar to his successful preparation for the first Test against Australia when the Lions last toured four years ago.
“Like I said, it’s all about us doing that for the best opportunity for the first Test. We did that in 2013 and I have no doubt it’s one of the reasons why we won the first Test because we gave the Test team a chance to win.” –