‘It's the Australian way': Touring Lions shrug off heritage jibes
The British and Irish Lions say they're not miffed about being trolled by a ground announcer in Perth over the Southern Hemisphere-raised players in their touring squad, acknowledging that Australians love to 'wind people up'.
The issue of Lions coach Andy Farrell selecting eight players who were raised in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - but now play for a Home Nations team - became thorny when several ex-Lions stars criticised the picks, and Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt then flippantly referred to Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu as a 'southern hemisphere partnership'.
Ahead of the Lions clash with the Force at Optus Stadium on Saturday, the ground announcer pointed out the heritage of 'our former Aussie, Mack Hansen'; 'another former Aussie, Sione Tuipulotu' and 'the Kiwi, now Irishman, James Lowe'. 'Former SA schoolboy, now Scotsman, Pierre Schoeman' was also mentioned.
It prompted another round of headlines in the UK, but Lions players say they're not fazed.
'It's the Australian way, isn't it?' Lions captain Maro Itoje said. 'It is what it is. That's not even an issue. That's a minor comment and something that we don't really pay too much attention to. It neither spurs us on nor detracts us.'
Lowe and Tuipulotu said post-game they were used to the criticism about switching national allegiances, and Kiwi-raised halfback Jamison Gibson-Park had a similar take when asked on Monday if he was irked by the sledging.
'I don't really care, man, honestly. I'm used to it at this stage, I've had a fair amount of it over my years with Ireland, so it is what it is, everybody's entitled to their opinion and it's fine,' Gibson-Park said.
'Aussies like to wind people up, it's part of their background. It doesn't bother me, honestly.'
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