RED NOSES RED FACES
WARREN GATLAND has insisted he “couldn’t give a toss” about the New Zealand Herald mocking him up as a cartoon clown.
The British and Irish Lions head coach saw his side throw away a commanding lead to draw with Hurricanes in Wellington then laughed off his home country’s daily paper publishing a second clown caricature of him in six months.
Gatland watched his side’s final midweek fixture of the tour then admitted he wasn’t bothered by All Blacks boss Steve Hansen calling a radio station to object about him criticising New Zealand’s “dangerous” targeting of scrum-half Conor Murray.
He said: “I haven’t read anything of Steve Hansen’s quotes, the only thing I heard was he had rung up a radio station. I thought that was quite unusual for an international coach.
“But I’m not worried about that or what any newspaper draws me up as. I just hope it was a happy clown!
“There’s been a significant campaign against me personally but I couldn’t give a toss if that’s happening.”
Gatland also came under fire from Lions fans for yesterday defeat. With his players in desperate need of a moraleboosting win ahead of Saturday’s second Test a 14-point lead was squandered in the last 13 minutes at the Cake Tin.
He had fresh legs on the bench but ignored them as they belonged to players added to the squad on the basis of being nearby rather than deserving of a place.
Gatland added: “So much was made about ‘devaluing the jersey’ and all those