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First, it was Michael Cheika who was lampooned as a clown, and now you can add British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland to the list.
The New Zealand Herald has taken aim at Gatland, portraying him as a clown in a cartoon.
First Cheika, now Gatland…NZ Herald's latest clown cartoon of the Lions coach after his comments yesterday. #rugby pic.twitter.com/sikOtKTvv6
— Tim Groves (@TimGrovesSport) November 2, 2016
The attack on Gatland comes after comments he made at a Tuesday press conference, in which he claimed that for the first time in his life he was embarrassed to be a Kiwi and that the All Blacks fans needed to learn humility.
“One of the things I was proud of as a Kiwi was showing humility,” Gatland said.
“The All Blacks try to do that, but there’s a proportion of New Zealanders that have a little bit of arrogance and not humility.
“It was the first time that I’ve sat there and thought: ‘We’re better than this.'”
Gatland singled out the treatment of Wallabies fly-half Quade Cooper as an example of Kiwi fans needing a lesson in humility. He was present at the Wallabies and All Blacks last clash at Eden Park and was extremely disappointed with the crowd’s behaviour.
“There was still a large portion of the crowd booing Quade Cooper. Get over it.”
The hostility expressed towards Cooper dates back to 2010 when he pushed legendary All Black Richie McCaw. There was also an incident in 2011 where Cooper’s knee came into contact with the head of McCaw.
McCaw however, has described Cooper as a “decent bloke.”
Perhaps sparking the war with the New Zealand Herald was Gatland’s comments regarding the publications treatment of Australian coach, Michael Cheika.
While Gatland’s portrayal as a clown was featured on the inner pages of the Herald, Cheika was humiliated by appearing on the front page of New Zealand Herald’s sports section, causing plenty of irritation for Australians.
There is a fine line between, banter and jibes and genuine attacks of character and Gatland believed the Herald’s actions were a step too far.
“As a Kiwi, I was embarrassed,” he said.
The criticism of Gatland appeared in an article posted online by sports columnist Chris Rattue who accused the Lions coach of “lacking a certain combativeness,” and further poked fun at Gatland by referencing his 2012 accident when he fell from a ladder.
“Warren Gatland broke a couple of legs during one of his visits home to New Zealand. Now he’s pulling ours,” wrote Rattue.
Gatland’s Lions will travel to New Zealand in eight months’ time in an attempt to conquer the All Blacks for the first time since 1971.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.