Lions boss Warren Gatland claims New Zealand’s dirty tricks could have ‘wrecked’ Conor Murray’s career
Ireland scrum-half's standing leg on box kicks was purposely targeted by charging All Blacks, says Gatland
WARREN GATLAND claims the All Blacks’ dirty tricks could have “wrecked” Conor Murray’s career.
Lions scrum-half Murray was targeted with shocking off-the-ball hits during Saturday’s 30-15 defeat in the First Test.
The Irish star, 28, got tackled late several times in a ploy led by back-row enforcer Jerome Kaino.
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Sneaky Kaino caught Murray’s standing leg as he launched box kicks.
Lions boss Gatland raged: “It’s a safety issue. I’d hate to see someone dive at his leg, blow his knee and wreck his career.
“There were a couple of times where they’ve just pushed him to the ground after he’s box kicked — and I don’t know if it was a tactic.
“If someone pushes him afterwards, that’s fine. But diving at his leg? There was a charge-down where someone dived at his legs.
“That’s a little bit dangerous. So we are just making sure he’s being protected and not harassed.
“We’ll probably get some clarity from the referee later in the week because it’s a little bit tough for Conor.
“When you see someone dive at someone’s leg and it’s blind, you feel for that player.
“It’s a concerning that they are actually not trying to charge the kick down, because they are nowhere near it. We must protect the players.
“As a Kiwi, I understand what the mindset is — and often that is to stop the strength of the opposition.”
Munster star Murray is no stranger to late hits off the ball. In January he was left fuming after claiming Glasgow targeted his standing leg in a Champions Cup clash.
Back then, Murray admitted he feared the tactic could have caused a horror knee injury.
Gatland plans to help protect Murray in Saturday’s crunch Second Test by bringing skipper Sam Warburton back into the starting XV — alongside powerhouse Maro Itoje.
The Kiwi was angry at the Lions’ lack of bite up front.
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And Gatland, whose side play the Hurricanes tomorrow in Wellington, admitted: “We may shake it up a bit.
“Itoje made an impact off the bench and was so physical. Warburton was also excellent when he came on.
“The All Blacks were brutal and we need to match fire with fire on Saturday.”