Water off a duck’s back says head coach as he dismisses caricature
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 laughed off New Zealand’s daily paper publishing a second clown caricature of him in six months, pictured.
Gatland admitted he was nonplussed by All Blacks boss Steve Hansen calling a radio station to object to the Lions boss criticising New Zealand’s “dangerous” targeting of scrum-half Conor Murray.
“I haven’t read anything of Steve Hansen’s quotes,” said Gatland, when quizzed on the clown cartoon. “The only thing I heard was that 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!
“As a Kiwi, you’d like to think you’d come home and it be more positive from one or two members of the media. That hasn’t happened. But you can’t let that get to you.
“There’s been a significant campaign against me personally. But that’s water off a duck’s back. I’ve just got to concentrate on doing my job and not worry about any specific individuals. I couldn’t give a toss if that’s happening.”
New Zealand assistant coach Ian Foster says he would not like to be a victim of the newspaper clown treatment given to Gatland.
The New Zealand Herald has mocked up Gatland as a cartoon clown – for the second time.
Asked for a reaction to it in Wellington yesterday, Foster said: “You’d have to ask the New Zealand Herald.” Then pushed for his take on it, he added: “I wouldn’t like that but It doesn’t make any difference for us. We are preparing on our game.
“There are a few little issues floating around, but at the end of the day this is going to be a titanic Test match, isn’t it? When there is a lot at stake, often there’s lots of noise around games and people try and chuck things at you from different sides, but at the end of the day it doesn’t change a thing.
“Our job as coaches is to put all that stuff to one side. I guess we probably give a little bit, they give a little bit, and that’s all part of things when stakes are high.
“So he is doing what he thinks he needs to do to prepare his team and we will do what we need to do. It’s part of the environment when you play a big series.
“People are just trying to find that edge in different sorts of ways and I wouldn’t read too much more into it than just that. I don’t know whether people like it or dislike it, but it is what it is. We don’t take it as personal, it’s just what some people do.
“If we start sulking about that, we will get upset and distracted by it. Isn’t that the objective of it?”
Writing in the New Zealand Herald about Gatland’s comments, sports writer Gregor Paul wrote: “Implying the All Blacks are dirty is the unforgivable sin. Questioning their playing ethics and morals is a line that can’t be crossed.”