Hansen strikes early in series war of words
STEVE Hansen has started the mind games more than a week before New Zealand face the Lions by claiming Warren Gatland is set to draft in additional players.
The New Zealand coach maintained he had received information his opposite number intended to increase the size of the British and Irish squad.
And Hansen suggested there was already a divide in Gatland’s party between its Saturday and midweek teams.
But he failed to produce any hard evidence of his claim, with some seeing his remarks as a strike designed to cause mischief and discord in the Lions camp ahead of the opening Test a week tomorrow at Auckland’s Eden Park.
The Lions have won their two Saturday games, beating the Provincial Barbarians and the Crusaders, while losing to the Blues and the Highlanders in midweek.
Hansen, who is known for playing mind games, picked a strong-looking All Blacks side for today’s warm-up match with Samoa at Eden Park.
But he was keen to focus on the Lions, saying: “I think there is a clear difference between their two teams – their midweek team and their Saturday team in the way they are performing.
“I think he (Gatland) is about to bring a few extra players out to give himself the ability to play two squads. He’s at the stage where he wants to do that,” claimed Hansen.
And he added: “I guess he will bring them out from the UK.”
Gatland has picked what looks like close to a Test team for this weekend’s clash with New Zealand Maori in Rotorua.
There has been a change on the Lions’ bench with Owen Farrell withdrawing after suffering a “grade one” thigh strain in training.