All Blacks Boss Steve Hansen Completely Dismisses Lions Touring Schedule

Steve Hansen says the All Blacks would never have agreed to the Lions gruelling schedule this summer.

The Lions left home yesterday, will arrive in New Zealand tomorrow and play their first game just three days larter against the Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei on Saturday. Just four days after that they will take on the Blues in Auckland.

Hansen says the All Blacks have ‘total control’ when they go on tour and says the Lions should be there for at least a week before they play a game.

“You’d want to be there a week at the minimum,” Hansen told the Times.

“It’s nicer to be longer than that. When we tour we have total control over when we leave the country.”

The All Blacks boss also reckons all the players that were no involved in finals this past weekend should have flown out to New Zealand earlier to begin their preparations ahead of the series.

“If most of them are not playing, what’s stopping them getting on a plane now with most of the squad, for example?