Lions coach Warren Gatland has learned the hard way to treat every microphone as live after being recorded swearing under his breath following a barrage of media questions.
Gatland faced questions from international media in Auckland on Monday night ahead of the team's clash with the Blues at Eden Park on Wednesday.
He was grilled on the Lions underwhelming form in their 13-7 win against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei on Saturday.
"We know we didn't play so well on Saturday, and it gives us an opportunity to go out against the Blues and go and be positive.
"To match the All Blacks, you've got to display a bit of X Factor, and if that X Factor means an offload or do something that's a bit outside the box then the players are being encouraged to do that because that's what we're going to have to do to beat them," he said.
"We don't want to be prescribed and we don't want to be play-by-numbers."
As he stood up at the end of the news conference, he politely tucked his chair in and muttered under his breath: "f***, I don't know why I have to f***ing keep defending myself, f***ing hell".
And with those words, he flashed a smile to the press pack likely unaware his words had been picked up by the dozen or so mics placed in front of him.
Newshub.
