Steve Hansen has gone to town on Warren Gatland’s claims of Conor Murray being targeted

Steve Hansen hit back at Warren Gatland's assessment of New Zealand's "dangerous" targeting of Conor Murray in the first test at Eden Park on Saturday.

Steve Hansen phoned a local radio station in New Zealand, Radio Sport, to call the Lions coach "desperate". Gatland, in a recent press conference, called on referees to offer greater protection to the Munster man with the All Blacks seemingly diving blindly at Murray after he attempted to kick the ball on Saturday. The All Blacks who were attempting to block down Murray's kicks then proceeded to follow through with their lunges to an extent that seemed unnecessary, such as this incident involving Jerome Kaino. https://twitter.com/patmccarry/status/879064866291687425 Gatland was frustrated by these tactics which he felt were purposely set out to injure the Munster man. Gatland claimed in his press conference on Sunday morning that he would speak to the second test referee Jerome Garces on the matter. This isn't the first time Murray had been targeted in such a manner after the Glasgow Warriors repeatedly targeted his standing leg earlier in the year while the Limerick man was playing for Munster. "I thought that’s a little bit dangerous, and after he’s kicked he’s been pushed a few times, pushed to the ground...So we’ll probably just get some clarity from the ref later in the week," said Gatland. All Blacks coach Hansen took exception to these comments.

"It's predictable comments from Gatland, isn't it?" Hansen told New Zealand's Radio Sport. "Two weeks ago it was we created in the scrums, last week it was blocking and now he's saying this.

"It's really disappointing to hear it, because what he's implying is that we're going out there to intentionally injure somebody and that's not the case. I guess he might be a bit desperate. "We've never been like that and as a New Zealander I'd expect him to know the Kiwi psyche," claimed Hanson.