Rugby: Warren Gatland defends ref, bites back at media

Warren Gatland has arrived in Dunedin with his side buoyed by the victory over the Crusaders but a spikiness remains - in front of the media anyway.

The British and Irish Lions deserved their 12-3 victory at AMI Stadium, but didn't have their own way at scrum time, and in one scrum in particular which went backwards in a hurry and finished with Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor giving the visiting front row a verbal spray.

Gatland defended the rulings of French referee Mathieu Raynal, who penalised the Crusaders several times for not maintaining a gap before the engagement, and, ahead of Tuesday's match against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, the coach questioned whether Super Rugby sides are scrummaging illegally.

He also bit back at a question from a New Zealand television reporter about his side's attack - they have scored only two tries in three matches - which suggested that he remains sensitive to any implied criticism, whether it's of himself or his team.

"I felt they had one scrum where they gained some ascendancy, but I thought on the whole we scrummaged pretty well," Gatland said. "The one [we lost], they just a little bit under us. Have a look at some of the angles as well.

"There has been a bit of discussion about the referee, I thought he did a good job. I didn't have any issues with that. It's an area we'll keep working hard on, in terms of the scrummaging. We've spoken to the front rowers about that.

"It's not something we're concerned about. I'm a little bit surprised that a huge amount has been made of the scrum ... if you look at the numbers in terms of the game I think we've dominated in every other area...

"I think our scrum will be very strong by the time it comes around to the tests. I know there was some discussion about the engagement. The ruling says that you must have a small gap and in Super Rugby they pre-load. We've practised for both scenarios... The law says there must be a small gap. They don't play to the law of the game so Super Rugby sides tend to scrummage illegally then if that's the case."

Asked whether he was concerned that his side had scored only two tries, Gatland asked: "How many have we conceded? Two?"

"Four, I'm told," was the eventual reply, but Gatland, possibly forgetting Sonny Bill Williams' opportunist try at Eden Park under the posts just before halftime, was under the impression it was only three.

He then explained again that the Lions were determined to hold things back ahead of the first test at Eden Park a week on Saturday.

"Obviously we're creating opportunities and we need to be better at finishing them," Gatland said. "I thought we played some superb rugby against the Crusaders. That's only the third time in their history they've scored three points in a match and both of the other occasions were away from home.

"We're building here. The team's been together for just over a week. This is the sixth hotel we've been in since we've been in New Zealand."

Sam Warburton, the tour skipper back in the No7 jersey after recovering from an ankle sprain suffered in the first victory over the Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei, believes the roof will provide a more open game against the Highlanders compared with the slog in the wet in Christchurch.