Hansen has meeting with England’s Eddie

EDDIE JONES has risked irritating the Lions camp by meeting All Blacks coach Steve Hansen ahead of tomorrow’s decisive second Test. The pair have scheduled a drink in Wellington, and, although they are meeting on social terms, it could hand Hansen a chance to gather inside information about the 10 English Lions. England coach Jones arrived in New Zealand this week to watch the two final Tests, having briefly returned to London for a series of meetings following England’s summer tour of Argentina. ‘He has already texted me to say he is coming,’ said Hansen. ‘I’m going to catch up with him. He’s a character and a good man. He has got plenty of banter in him. He enjoys it and I quite enjoy reading about it!’ Hansen has become embroiled in a war of words with Lions coach Warren Gatland throughout the tour. He has called his rival ‘desperate’ and ‘predictable’ — but yesterday offered a ceasefire after Gatland was mocked up as a clown by the New Zealand Herald. ‘It’s really disappointing,’ he said. ‘It’s one thing to have a bit

of banter but to come out and do that, you are ridiculing somebody that doesn’t deserve it. At the end of the day, we are all coaches trying to do what we think is right. ‘I have heard you say that I don’t like him, and we won’t have a beer. I have got a lot of respect for him. I think he is a good coach,’ Hansen said. ‘We’ve got a lot of common interests. He likes racing horses, so do I, he coaches Wales, I’ve been through that experience myself. I am looking forward to having a beer with him and a chuckle about life.’ Gatland has also come under fire for his style of rugby— known as Warrenball — which has attracted criticism for being one-dimensional and overreliant on power. It was, however, the All Blacks who dominated the physical battle in the first Test and Gatland has subsequently selected Maro Itoje and Sam Warburton for round two. ‘The All Blacks played a bit of Warrenball, whatever that is,’ joked Gatland. ‘We have got to match their physicality. We played some good rugby, we have just got to keep the ball for longer periods. ‘It’s a big challenge for us as coaches and players. The series is on the line. The players have spoken about it being the biggest match of their careers.’