Hansen has blast at cartoon

All Blacks boss not happy:

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has leapt to Warren Gatland’s defence after the New Zealand Herald mocked up the British and Irish Lions boss as a cartoon clown.

Hansen described the move as “really disappointing” and underlined his respect for Gatland as the rival head coaches prepare for battle in tomorrow’s second Test at Westpac Stadium.

Hansen’s comments at his pre-match press conference yesterday served as a welcome respite after previous verbal jousting between them.

Gatland earlier this week laughed off New Zealand’s daily paper publishing a second clown caricature of him in six months.

And he admitted he was nonplussed by Hansen calling a radio station to object to the Lions boss criticising New Zealand’s “dangerous” targeting of scrum-half Conor Murray during last weekend’s first Test in Auckland.

“You guys are having a field day at the moment between Gats and I, so I am not feeding it,” Hansen told reporters in central Wellington.

“You are alluding to the cartoon? You may as well go straight there. It makes it easier to answer the question.

“I think it is really disappointing. It’s one thing to have a bit of banter, and then you guys beef it up to make it bigger than it really is. 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. I have got a lot of respect for the Lions, they are a good team.

“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.

“Sometimes, people don’t always agree with what we do, but that’s OK, you are allowed to have your opinion.

“But to ridicule someone is not right. It’s a bit disappointing, really.

“I read somewhere where I lashed out at Warren Gatland. I haven’t lashed out at Warren Gatland at all. I have got a lot of respect for him, I am looking forward to having a beer with him and a chuckle about life.

“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.

“It’s the media that ramp it up because it sells you guys newspapers. Who am I to say stop it? But I do look at it and think that’s not actually how it went.”

Steve Hansen.