Warren Gatland still wants to take a swing at some people after the Lions tour – but not, he insists, Steve Hansen.
The Wales coach has insisted his relationship with Hansen is a cordial one as the pair prepare to repeat their battle of five months ago in New Zealand.
But Gatland – who will bid to end Wales’ 64-year losing streak against the All Blacks this Saturday, and improve his own poor record against the major southern hemisphere nations – still wants to lace on the gloves at some point to avenge the blows he took in the summer.
“At some stage I’ll probably be dressed up as a clown again this week so I’ll just take it on the chin and move on,” he said.
“I said it was tough and challenging from a personal perspective but when you back a Kiwi into a corner we come out fighting. I felt like I was in a boxing match and I was going to come out on top.
“I didn’t enjoy aspects of the tour but I enjoyed that challenge; not thinking anyone was going to get the better of me or split the squad. There was some pretty underhanded stuff going on.
“There are one or two people I’d like to get into a room on their own with me but that might have to wait for another day.
“What we achieved in New Zealand on reflection was absolutely outstanding. Yes, we had a little bit of luck but that’s gone now and we should be proud of that achievement. For me my focus is on Wales and the next two years.”
Gatland insisted Hansen is not one of those he wants to corner for vengeance and that there is no lingering resentment between the two, despite previous clashes during and since the Lions tour.
“People try to make a lot of stuff about myself and Steve. All I can say from that point of view is I’d like to think there’s no issues between Steve and myself.
“I have a huge amount of respect for what he has achieved in the game and the success he’s had as an All Blacks coach. He’s been absolutely outstanding. I look forward to catching up with him after the game and having a drink.”
“For us, it’s about Wales and the All Blacks this week and us trying to get a victory we haven’t had since 1953.”
But Gatland is still being pursued by the New Zealand media for comments he made in his book about the All Blacks.
In his record of the Lions tour, ‘In The Line Of Fire’, Gatland suggested he had details of All Blacks methods that could, at the least, embarrass the world champions if they were disclosed.
He wrote: “I have heard of some things about the All Blacks that could be quite explosive if they were made public, and if it does get dirty then I will raise a couple of those things. At the moment I’m just keeping my counsel.”
Asked to explain further that remark on Monday, Gatland said: “Explosive is a pretty exaggerated word. I said I’d known things about the All Blacks and how personal some of the attacks on me were, and if it needs to get dirty I could reveal a little bit of stuff. And that could be anything – it doesn’t have to be explosive.
“Since that tour five months ago certain things have been revealed about players and bits and pieces and that happens all the time. One thing you learn in this job is you take the criticism. You’ve got to be very careful about how you throw it back. You can’t criticise the media because you’ll never win in that situation.
“So I used that opportunity, writing the book, to express how I felt at the time. People think I was being paranoid about some of the personal stuff that went on daily in terms of criticism of myself and the team, and that’s their opinion.
“I thought I was restrained in what I said and, when I needed to defend the team, I did that and I didn’t have to sling mud at the All Blacks or reveal anything about them that I might have known that might have potentially taken some controversy or pressure off myself and the Lions in that set up.”