Hansen slams ‘desperate’ Gatland in row over dangerous play
case we’re trying to charge the kick down, and/or tackle him. Both those things are legal. That’s what the game is built around. Just because he (Murray) is one of their key players, it doesn’t mean that he has the right to go around the park without being charged down or tackled.
“It’s just disappointing after such a great Test, two days later or whatever, he’s come out and saying something like that.”
Gatland had set the ball rolling in a briefing yesterday. He said: “If someone pushes him [Murray] afterwards, that’s fine but diving at his leg ... I know other teams have used that in the past and I think Joe Schmidt (Ireland head coach) has come out and was pretty critical about that being a tactic other teams have used against Conor.
“It’s just a safety issue for me. I’d hate to see someone dive at his leg and have him blow a knee and then wreck his rugby career.”
Ireland team-mate Robbie Henshaw — who starts for the Lions tomorrow against the Hurricanes, here in Wellington — has also witnessed All Blacks’ physicality first hand. In November, Henshaw had to come off after being caught with a high shot by All Blacks openside Sam Cane during a Test match in Dublin.
Talking about targeting tactics today, Henshaw called on officials to be vigilant.
“If you came in to block you’d give a penalty away,” Henshaw said of protecting a harassed team-mate. “But you can stand your ground.
“If the guy’s clearly going for a block down and going for the ball, and he follows through and hits the player that’s not his fault. But if he’s nowhere near the ball and he’s hit our guy off the ball, it needs to be looked at.”