HANSEN BACKS BANNED SONNY BILL

STEVE HANSEN refused to throw Sonny Bill Williams under the bus despite his redcard recklessness costing the All Blacks dear.

The three-sport star was handed a four-week ban after his “dangerous charge” (right) on Lions wing Anthony Watson brought an end to the world champions’ eight-year unbeaten home record.

“Sonny accepts he’s made a mistake and let the team down and he and the team paid a big price,” said boss Hansen. “But this is a physical game and one of the reasons we love rugby is because of the varying natures of the game. One of those natures is the brutality, the intensity that comes with it.

“You are asking people to be warriors, within the law, and that’s what’s happening. Is some of it close? Yeah. But it always is.

“There’s not a genuine Test match that doesn’t challenge you physically, that doesn’t challenge you mentally.”

Williams, a former rugby league international and professional heavyweight boxer, is the first All Black to be sent off for 50 years.

He said: “I have been in contact with Anthony, and I have apologised to him.”

Hansen refuses to panic despite the momentum being with the Lions heading back to Auckland for the decider.

“The big thing about when you lose is that it’s painful, isn’t it?” he added. “It sharpens the mind, it sharpens the attitude.” ANTHONY WATSON: JONATHAN DAVIES: OWEN FARRELL: ELLIOT DALY: JOHNNY SEXTON: CONOR MURRAY: MAKO VUNIPOLA: JAMIE GEORGE: TADHG FURLONG: ALUN WYN JONES: SAM WARBURTON SEAN O’BRIEN: TAULUPE FALETAU: NZ: 8, MARO ITOJE: 8 8 8 9 7 9 8 6 8 8 9 8 8 8 8

7, 6.