Dismissive: Steve Hansen says he knows how Lions will play

Anxious his team will be underdone, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is likely to give his side a warm- up match against Samoa on June 16.

And the All Blacks’ boss has taken a few return pot shots at Gatland in a goalkicking war-of-words in the lead up to the three-test rugby series.

Mains, who coached the All Blacks to a 2-1 series win over the Lions in 1993, said he had a lot of time for the side’s coach Warren Gatland and captain Sam Warburton. If I thought I was only scraping to get in the squad and they had asked me to be captain I would have said I don’t think I’m the right person.

“But that also fires myself up and hopefully gives the players and the team the motivation to go out there and perform”.

However, Jordie Barrett, younger brother of player of the year Beauden Barrett, is another likely to feature against the Lions.

For those men, club form will be pivotal in convincing Gatland and the other coaches of their starting Test credentials, although Farrell said that one game won’t decide anything.

“The boys said four years ago they made really good friendships with people they are still in contact with. It’s under pressure which counts, not the ones in front”.

Hansen hinted that he would have picked Hartley had he been in Gatland’s position, but also acknowledged the strength in depth at his fellow New Zealander’s disposal. He is expecting Gatland’s side to play an uncomplicated game in the test series in keeping with Gatland’s standard operating procedure. “I think he was probably right to turn it down because he was an afterthought by Gatland, and as a Kiwi, the same as Gatland, he [O’Halloran] probably knew exactly how much input he’d have, which would be nil”. By a smaller group it is hard, because they’ll pick players that they trust, that they know.

The fact that overseas players, that have qualified under the three-year residency rule, outnumber the amount of Scots in the squad has caused controversy.

“Then he accepted being on the bench – but you could see he wasn’t accepting being on the bench”.

“Can they beat the All Blacks?”.

“We felt there’s continued improvement in him as a player and that Rory and Ken had great Six Nations”. They might be drinking water or orange juice, but it’s the perception of being out until that time. “How they deal with that will be interesting to see”.

Whitelock, New Zealand’s most capped lock with 84 Test appearances, said he was thrilled to be staying with the All Blacks and Canterbury Crusaders Super Rugby team.

“Quite a lot of them have got a big weekend coming up”, Farrell added.

“It will be an honour to have the British & Irish Lions at the birthplace of the nation and it is fitting the team has accepted the invitation to be welcomed”, Waitangi Treaty Grounds chief executive Greg McManus said. He knows what it takes to win in New Zealand.